The Shadow Gallery
by ViciousRejects
Summary: Buffy is a waitress at a popular bar. Spike is a bad boy front man of a popular band. Will she be another fling, a passing fancy, or could she perhaps be what Spike Pratt has needed all along? Will she even give him a chance? AU.AH.Spuffy.
1. Chapter 1

The Shadow Gallery

Chapter 1

He looked out over the small crowd and felt his lips curl in to his trademark bad boy smirk that was famous for making girls swoon. He absolutely loved playing small shows. Sure, pavilions were fun, arenas were great, but nothing would ever beat playing in a local bar with no more than seventy people watching you with hungry eyes as you sang your heart out, wailed away on your guitar, or banged skillfully on your drums. There was no better way to say goodbye before a month long break from touring than this. The bar they were playing in, The Shadow Gallery, was owned by a long time friend of his, Clem Valentine, and was the unofficial home and birthing place of the Flesh of the Passions.

There was no doubt about it, Spike Pratt lived for shows like this.

"_My baby's pretty as a car crash,_

_sexy as a stinger of the hornet in your arm,_

_just another modern swinger._

_Screaming 'catch me if you can',_

_with a cigarette in hand and it's love,_

_it's heavy and it hurts and it's love!"_

He sang as the last notes of their final song rang out over the bar. The audience clapped and cheered as he bowed his head. "Thank you! We're Flesh of the Passions! Goodnight!" He yelled as he strummed his guitar one last time before he and the rest of the band exited the stage.

Backstage, which was honestly only separated from the front stage by a thick black curtain, was pretty bare compared to what they had become used to, but none of them cared. This was home.

"Now that's what I call a farewell show." Oz, the bassist, said as he grabbed a beer from the small fridge and tossing one to Bob, the drummer, and Spike. He collapsed in to one of the chairs and sat his feet on top of a random box which happened to be there.

"That light I was sitting under made me all crispy, like a french fry." Bob said as he took a long drink from the beer.

"You knew it was there," Spike said cracking his beer open and taking a large swig, "nothing but your own bloody laziness kept you under it."

"Oi! He's right Robert!" Oz said, mocking Spike's heavy English accent. "Now sit down and we'll see about getting you some tea and crumpets!"

Bob chuckled as Spike threw his now empty beer can at Oz's head. "We've known each other for fifteen years now, mate, since we were ten fucking years old, you think you'd be over the making fun of poor Spikey's accent by now."

"Never." Oz said as he threw the bottle back at Spike, missing by a long shot, but managing to hit Clem as he made his way back to them. The guys all laughed as it hit him right between the eyes before ricocheting off to the left. "Sorry Clem." Oz said through his soft laughter.

"Oh, no worries!" Clem said, his cheery demeanor never faltering. "Great show tonight, guys, really great! Thank you so much for playing here."

"No problem, Clem. Anytime." Spike said.

"Really?" Clem asked.

"We'll need somewhere to practice while we're on break." Oz commented.

"Yeah, bar's yours anytime you need it." He said smiling. "You guys need anything? Drinks, food, anything?"

"I could eat." Bob said, glancing at the other two to see if they were as interested as he was.

"You're always ready to eat." Oz commented.

"Well... yeah." Bob answered.

"I'm always starving after we play." Spike said.

"I'll send one of my waitresses back, hang tight." Clem said, rushing back through the curtains. He hurried his way around the bar, searching for one particular waitress, one he knew wouldn't get star struck and crazy like he knew most of them would. When he found her, she was at the bar filling drinks for one of her tables. He rushed over and grabbed the tray from her hands and began filling up the glasses himself.

"Um, Clem," the blonde girl said, confusion clearly written all over her face, "what are you doing?"

"What table are these for?" Clem asked.

"Fifteen, why?" She asked, glancing over at Xander, the bartender with a worried look. He shrugged and kept his eyes on Clem, just as curious as the girl.

"I need you to take care of the band backstage." He said.

"Me?" The girl asked. "I've got an eight top, that tips going to be huge."

"Don't worry, I'll give you whatever tip they leave. I'd get Faith to do it but I can't trust her not to try anything with any of them." Clem explained.

The girl glanced over at Faith, he had a point. The girls were friends, but everyone knew that Faith had no boundaries as far as men went. "Fine." she said grabbing a clean tray and pulling her pad and pen out of the pocket of her black apron.

She made her way through the crowd of people and over to the stage, jumping on top of it instead of pushing her way to the stairs and made her way behind the curtain. Bob was sitting on the couch, a larger man with sandy blonde hair. The shorter, red haired man, Oz, sat on top a table that was back there while the last man, Spike, a bleached blonde, sat on a fold out chair, straddling it with a leg on either side with his head laying down against the back of it.

"Hi, can I get you guys anything?" The girl asked.

At the sound of her voice, Spike's head lifted up immediately. He looked her over, and to say he was pleased with what he saw would be a complete understatement. She was a tiny little thing, not much meat on her, but she had all the curves a woman should. She had long blonde hair that hung loosely around her face and down past her shoulders, a slight wave coming in to the ends. She was wearing a pair of black straight legged jeans and a light purple, one shoulder top. She had a black apron on, the only proof that she worked here, and was standing next to the opening in the curtain, pad and pen in hand, waiting for their order.

"Can I get some cheese fries with bacon?" Bob asked.

The girl nodded. "And to drink?"

"Jack and Coke." He answered. The girl then looked to Oz, who was busy playing with the strings of his bass. After a few seconds of no response from Oz, Bob hit him lightly in the ribs. "Dude." He whispered.

Oz looked up at the girl. "What's he having?" He asked.

"Cheese fries with bacon and a Jack and Coke." She answered.

"Same."

The small smile that appeared on the girls face as she waited didn't go unnoticed by Spike who was currently watching her like a hawk. Spike watched as the girl scribbled down what he wanted. When she looked up again, her sparkling green eyes were pointed in his direction. "And what would you like?" She asked.

"You know how to make a seven and seven?" He asked, leaning his head on his hand.

The girl raised her eyebrow at him. "Seagram's 7 and 7-up. Easy." She responded.

Spike's trademark smirk appeared on his face. "Very good." He practically purred. "I'll take a Seven and Seven, but what are you drinking?"

Buffy wrote his order down on her pad and cocked her head to the side. "Nothing for me, thanks." She said.

"Yeah?" Spike asked, standing up and making his way toward her. "And why not?"

The girl, not even slightly intimidated, put her pad and pen back in the pocket of her apron before looking back up at him and crossing her arms over her chest. "Well, for one thing I'm working." She said.

By this time Spike had made it across the room and was standing no more than a foot in front of her. "Clem's an old friend of mine," he said, "I'm sure I could convince him to give you the rest of the night off."

"Clem's my boss, he trusts me and I respect him," the girl said, "and I don't think he'd appreciate me taking off so I can become another notch on your bedpost."

Despite the fact that the girl was quite a bit shorter than him, even with the black heeled boots she was currently wearing, she had no problem being face to face with a man she barely knew. "And how do you know that's what I want?"

The girl cocked an eyebrow at him. "I know you rock and roll types. All you want is a fun time and an easy lay until the next pretty thing walks by."

"Really?" He asked. "No exceptions to this rule?"

She thought for a moment, pouting her lips and looking off to the side as if in serious thought. "Gay?" She asked, earning herself a small chuckle from one of his band mates behind him.

"Well, I'm certainly not that." Spike said, his smirk growing as he made no secret of looking the girl over again.

"And I'm not like the girls you usually charm in to your grimy little bed." She said, not even noticing until now just how close his face was to hers.

"Wow, kitty's got claws," He leaned his head down and whispered directly in to her ear. "I like that."

"Hey, woah!" Clem's unmistakable voice broke through the almost silence of the room, cutting the tension like a knife. The girl turned away and quickly made her way over to the bar, Spike staring after her the entire way. "Is everything okay back here?" Clem asked.

"What's that bint's name?" Spike asked.

"Who?" Clem asked.

"The bloody waitress!" Spike yelled, sometimes his friend could be so dense.

"Buffy." Clem answered. "Buffy Summers."

Everyone watched as Spike turned, made a bee line for his pack of cigarettes and made his way out the back door.

"Do you hear that?" Oz said, jumping up from his table.

"I sure do." Bob said.

"What?" Clem asked, looking around the room trying to figure out what the other guys were hearing.

"It sounds kind of like fighter planes." Oz said, tilting his head as if trying to hear something better.

"Makes sense seeing as Spikey just got..."

"SHOT DOWN!" The two guys yelled in unison before bursting out in what could only be described as giggles.

"What?" Clem asked, still not quite understanding.

"I'll tell you, Clem," Oz said clasping his hand on Clem's shoulder, "Spikey just got denied by your waitress."

* * *

Buffy stormed through the curtain and made her way quickly across the stage before jumping down and walking behind the bar. She put the piece of paper with the food orders on the window that connected to the kitchen and gave the paper with the drink orders to Xander.

Xander had been Buffy's first friend, other than her roommate, when she had moved to LA from Sunnydale and was one of the only people that she really trusted. He had been there for her through thick and thin during the last year and half and she felt she would never truly be able to repay him for what he'd done for her. He was actually responsible for her having her job, though he would never admit it. He had always told her that if she wasn't who she was, she wouldn't have gotten the job and it was all done by her, he had merely offered up the suggestion. Truth was, he had told his Uncle Clem all about her and given her a stellar recommendation and the rest was history.

"This for the band?" He asked.

"Yeah." She said shortly.

"This last one is just the number seven..."

"It's a Seven and Seven. I guess I didn't get to write the entire thing down before the guy started coming on to me." She said.

"Coming on to you, what?" Xander asked.

"Yeah, basically had me cornered against the damn curtain. Stupid musicians think that they can get whatever they want just because they're famous. I really don't care if your album went platinum or if your single is constantly being played on the radio, I really don't." Buffy said.

"Hey, wait, slow down. What happened?"

Buffy gave him a general overview of what had happened and by the end of it, she was red faced and flustered, generally annoyed with what she had to deal with. Buffy could handle a lot, but she couldn't stand being hit on and being treated like a piece of ass.

"Calm down, Buff." Xander said, wrapping his arms around the small girl in a brotherly hug as she rested her head against his chest. "How about you just go back to working on tables, I can take care of them for the rest of the night."

She lifted her face to look at him. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Xander said, "I'll cover for you, Clem won't even notice."

"Thanks, Xan, I owe you one." Buffy said as she extracted herself from the hug.

The rest of her night went on without much excitement and when the clock finally hit two in the morning, she couldn't get out of there fast enough. She pulled her bag out from under the counter and made her way to the front door. She grabbed her black pea coat and made her way in to the cold night air, never noticing the bleached blonde figure smoking a cigarette at the corner of the building.

* * *

It took Buffy a thirty minute bus ride and a twenty minute walk to get back to her dormitory on the grounds of Roth University. When she finally made it back to her dorm, she wasn't surprised to see Willow fast asleep. She had been set up with her roommate, Willow Rosenberg, the first semester and the two had become quick best friends and had requested to live together throughout the rest of their schooling at Roth. She looked at the clock, it was almost three in the morning. She quickly went to their bathroom, washed her face, and threw on a pair of sweat pants with a black tank top. She tiptoed past Willow's bed, turning off the light she had left on as she went, and slipped in to her bed.

As she let her mind wander before she fell asleep, she couldn't stop the thoughts of Spike Pratt from entering her head. He was attractive, there was no denying that. His bleached blonde hair seemed to compliment the paleness of his skin and made his blue eyes stand out even brighter. The tight black jeans and black shirt he had been wearing didn't leave much to the imagination as far as how fit he was, must be from all of the shows they did on tour.

Sleep came to her in a dreamless state that night and the morning seemed to come far too early. As she opened her eyes, she heard the shower going and figured Willow had taken the first shower so that she could get a few extra minutes of rest. Buffy got up, stretched out her tired limbs, grabbed her wallet out of her bag, and made her way to the lounge area to grab her and her roomie some breakfast from one of the vending machines.

"The concert was awesome!" Buffy heard the voice of Harmony Kendall practically screech from all the way down the hall. "Spike Pratt actually sang a song to me."

"No way!" One of her 'friends' said.

"Yeah, he looked down at me while I was sitting at the table and said, 'This ones for the beautiful blonde angel at the table all by herself' before they played Star." Harmony said. She was sitting on top of one of the lounge tables with four other girls crowding around her.

"Star is such a beautiful song! So loving and his voice!" One of the girls exclaimed.

"That's not even the best part! When the song was over, he jumped off stage, came over to me, took my hand, and took me backstage with them." Harmony said.

Buffy rolled her eyes, she knew this was all a lie. She hadn't even seen Harmony at the bar and Spike Pratt sure as hell hadn't taken her backstage after the show, none of the guys had. Instead of calling her out, though, Buffy just grabbed the muffins and coffee she had bought from the machines and made her way back to her room.

When she walked inside Willow was sitting in front of the mirror, running a brush through her short red hair. "Morning, Buffy." She said happily.

"Morning, Wills, got us some breakfast." She said sitting the sorry excuse for food down on the table they had in the room.

"Oh, vending machine muffins! My favorite!" Willow said sarcastically.

"Yeah, yeah." Buffy said as she went in to the bathroom.

She took a quick shower and made fast work of getting ready. She settled on wearing a pair of jeans and a dark green t-shirt and headed out of the bathroom.

"Ready?" Buffy asked.

"Yup, let's go."

They made their way across campus, sipping their coffee to keep warm until they got to the English Building. They made their way to their classroom and took their normal seats near the window and proceeded to get out their notebooks and pens.

"So, how was work last night?" Willow asked.

"Fine." Buffy answered.

"Anything interesting happen?" Willow asked.

Buffy looked at her best friend who was currently wearing her 'I know something' smile. "Alright, what do you know?"

"Just that Spike Pratt hit on you." Willow said. "Xander text me last night."

Buffy shook her head. "Of course he would. And yeah, he did."

"And..."

"And nothing. I turned him down before running away when Clem came backstage." Buffy explained.

"Clem saw you?"

"Well, yeah, but it's not like we were doing anything. He was just really, really close to me." Buffy said.

"Buffy," Willow said with a growing school girl smile, "you know how many girls would kill to even have a chance with him?"

"Well, Harmony for one." Buffy said, a smile tugging at the edges of her mouth. "You should have heard what she was saying this morning."

"Tell me." Willow said.

"She was making up some crazy story about him singing to her and then taking her backstage, all of which was a total lie. I didn't even see her there." Buffy said.

Willow laughed. "Wow, see what I mean, and there are tons of other girls who would..."

"Good morning class." Their professor said as he entered the classroom. From that point the day went by quickly. She went to her classes and paid as much attention as she could. Before she really noticed it, it was time for her daily lunch break with Willow.

They decided to get some lunch from one of the small restaurants located in the student center like they usually did. They were sitting down at one of the tables eating Chinese food when Buffy's cell phone began to buzz loudly in her bag. She looked at the screen, pushed the talk button, and put the phone to her ear.

"Hey, Xander, what's up?" She said in to the receiver.

She was answered with two coughs loud enough to make her move the phone away from her ear. "Sorry, Buff." Xander's tired voice said from the other end.

"You okay?" Buffy asked.

"No, I'm pretty far from okay."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know, I woke up this morning achy and sneezing with a sore throat and hundred degree fever." He explained.

"Jesus, Xan, did you go to the doctor?" She asked.

"Not yet." He said. "But I was wondering if you could take my shift tonight. I know it's your night off and you know I hate asking you but..."

"Xander, don't worry about it. Of course I'll cover for you." Buffy said.

"Thanks so much, Buff." Xander said, another coughing fit taking over his speech.

"No problem, just get some sleep, and maybe see a doctor." Buffy said.

"Will do, later Buff." With that, Xander hung up the phone and Buffy's end went dead.

"Well," Buffy said, "so much for having a night off."

"Xander sick?" Willow asked.

"Yeah." Buffy said. "I'm covering for him. He bailed me out last night so I kind of owe him." She looked at the time on her phone, she had just over and hour before she needed to be at work. "I'm going to run back to the dorm and change in to some work clothes."

"Alright, I'll see you later." Willow said.

"See ya, Wills." She gave her a small smile and made her way out of the student center.

* * *

It was a pretty good crowd for a Monday night, the regular crowd was all there as well as quite a few people Buffy was fairly certain she hadn't seen here before. People were ordering drinks in a steady stream, she was no Xander but she somehow managed to hold her own behind the bar. She glanced at the clock as she turned to make a quick gin and tonic, it was reaching ten already.

"Buffy," she heard Clem's unmistakable voice call from the entrance of the bar, "go send Cordelia on her break for me?"

"Sure thing." She answered, handing the customer their drink. She skimmed the crowd and quickly spotted Cordelia and made her way over to her. She waited for her to sit the drinks she had just brought over down on her table before walking up. "Break time." She said.

"Oh, thank God!" Cordelia practically moaned. "I have to pee so bad!" Buffy laughed as she took the small pad of paper from her hand. Cordelia turned to walk away, but then spun back around to face Buffy again. "Almost forgot, Angel's at table six."

Buffy's heart sank to the pit of her stomach as she glanced over at table six. Sure enough, he was there, her place of business, with his friends and obviously drunk as a skunk. As if on cue he began to look around, obviously for a waitress.

"Hey, Buff, if you want me to take care of whatever it is and then go..."

"No." Buffy said quickly, turning her head back to her friend and smacking that fake smile on her face. "No, I've got it. Can't have you peeing on the floor."

Cordelia laughed. "Alright, be back in fifteen minutes."

Taking a deep breath, Buffy walked up to the table. As she reached the table, she stood to the right of Angel hoping that this would keep her from having to look at him. "Hey guys, Cordelia's taking a quick break so I'll be helping you for a few minutes. Does anyone need anything?"

She saw Angel turn to face her out the corner of her eye, but she made sure to keep her focus on the other guys sitting around the table. "How about another round of beers?"

"Millers?" She asked jotting down the order.

"Yeah." The guy said.

Buffy nodded. "Anything else?"

She suddenly felt his arms around her waist and was surprised when she was pulled down to his lap. Standing next to him definitely wasn't the best game plan. "I'll take a side of you." He said resting his head on her shoulder.

"Sorry," she said standing up quickly, "not on the menu. Nothing else? Good."

She turned on her heel and took a few quick steps toward the bar before she felt his unmistakable large hand wrap itself around her wrist. She turned back around to see Angel standing behind her, goofy smile on his face and arm extended with meaty fingers wrapped around her tiny wrist.

"Where you going?" Angel asked her, voice low and trying to be sexy.

"Angel, let me do my job." Buffy said as she tried to pull her arm out of his grasp, the last thing she expected was for his grip to tighten. Her eyes, already full of confusion and a dash of shock, shot up to meet his. "Angel..."

"Dance with me." He said as his other hand found her waist and pulled her tightly against him.

"You need to let me go." She said, still trying in vain to get away from the man. She closed her eyes and pushed with all of her might against his chest. He started to sway to the music, his hips rocking against hers. "Angel, stop it."

"Come on, baby," he said, "for old times sake."

"She said let go." Buffy's eyes shot open as she glanced around for the owner of that voice. It wasn't hard to find him, his brightly bleached hair standing out in any crowd. Spike Pratt stood not even a foot away from them, drink in hand, glaring daggers at the man who was currently holding her captive.

"This is none of your business, pal." Angel slurred.

"I've made it my business." Spike said shortly.

Angel threw an arm around Buffy's shoulders and pulled her flat against him as he turned his body to face Spike. "You know this guy?" Angel asked Buffy.

Spike moved his eyes over to Buffy and as their eyes met, he could see the panic she was doing very well to keep hidden and it just about broke his heart. He touched the tip of his tongue to the front of his teeth before taking a longer blink than usual and turning his eyes back to Angel, the anger toward the ogre-like man now at new levels. "We've met."

"Right," Angel said, "and why should I listen to some prick like you?"

Spike took a breath, raised an eyebrow and rocked his head back and forth as if to say 'here we go again'. He took a swig of his beer and sat it down on the table next to him. "Either take your hands off the lady, or I'll have to make you."

"Yeah?" Angel asked, a small chuckle escaping his throat. Spike was a few good inches shorter and not nearly as muscular as Angel. "How are you planning on doing that?"

Without any warning whatsoever, Spike's fist crashed in to Angel's face. Angel shoved Buffy away from him and gave Spike the perfect opportunity to grab him by the arm and spin it painfully behind his back. She stumbled sideways before her ankle rolled and she fell to the floor. As she fell to the ground, she heard a loud popping sound just before a loud yell erupted from Angel as Spike's other arm wrapped tightly around his throat.

"Kind of like that." Spike said quietly from next to his ear.

"Alright, alright!" Angel choked out. "I give!"

"You come near her again," Spike said so calmly it was terrifying, "and I'll break your fuckin' arm. Got it, mate?" Spike roughly shoved Angel away from him. "Now, sod off ya wanker."

Angel fell face first to the ground and only then did Spike notice the crowd that had formed around them. He turned around and held his hand out to Buffy. She looked up at him from her place on the ground for a moment, as if trying to decide if it would bite her or not. After a few seconds, she placed her hand in to his and let him help her to her feet.

Angel saw the little display as he scrambled to his feet. He stood up and quickly adjusted his clothing before turning back to Spike, shoving a finger in his face. "This isn't over!" He yelled. Spike's characteristic smirk appeared on his face as Angel turned to walk away. All of a sudden he stopped, grabbed a drink off of a table, and threw the cold, pink liquid straight at Buffy before finally storming off.

Spike quickly shed the dark red button up he had been wearing over his normal black tee and wrapped it around Buffy's shoulders, shielding her soaked white shirt and bright blue bra from the curious eyes of the bystanders. She glanced up at his face then, green eyes meeting his icy blues, before she pushed her hands through the arm holes in the shirt and covered herself completely. She ran a quick hand through her hair, a nervous habit, as a rosy blush ran across her cheeks.

Glancing around, he noticed that the crowd still hadn't dissipated. "Piss off! Nothing more to see here!" He yelled. Slowly but surely the people went back to whatever they had been doing, leaving Buffy and Spike free from prying eyes. "You alright?" Spike asked quietly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said lifting her booted foot and rubbing her ankle with her hand.

"You hurt your ankle?" Spike asked.

"It just twisted a little, no biggie. Happens when you wear boots to work, call it an occupational hazard." Spike smiled warmly at her, almost surprised that there weren't tears running down her face.

"Buffy!" Cordelia's voice yelled as she rushed up to her, Clem following in suit. "What the hell was all that about? I came back inside and saw Angel throw a drink at you!"

"True girlish action." Spike commented.

"Right?" Cordelia practically yelled in agreement with him.

"Are you okay?" Clem asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Buffy said not wanting to upset Clem.

"She hurt her ankle." Spike said quickly, earning an almost angry look from Buffy. Spike raised his eyebrows at her. "What? It's true."

"I'll be fine." Buffy said.

"Can you walk?" Cordelia asked.

"Yes, guys, I'm fine." Buffy said, the attention she was getting making her a little uncomfortable.

"Why don't you take the rest of the night off?" Clem asked.

"I can't do that," Buffy said, "I don't want to screw anyone over."

"We can handle it." Cordelia said. "Half of the crowds already gone anyway thanks to your friend... who are you? You look really familiar."

"Spike Pratt." He said quickly.

"Spike Pratt? Flesh of the Passions Spike Pratt?" Cordelia asked.

"One and only." He said monotonously.

"Nice." She said with a dashing smile. "But anyway, Buff, you really should go home. If you don't I'm going to baby you the rest of the night and not let you do anything anyway."

"Can I get some service over here?" Someone yelled from the unmanned bar.

"Ass hole." Cordelia whispered. "I'll be right there! I'll see you later, Buff." With that she rushed off to the bar to find her peeved customer.

Buffy sighed. "Are you sure you don't need me, Clem?"

"Absolutely." Clem said. "Don't even clock out, I'll pay you the rest of the night."

She couldn't argue with that. "Okay, thanks." With that she walked off and made her way to the employee lounge to grab her coat and purse, Spike watching her as she went.

"Good thing you were there, right?" Clem said with a laugh in his voice.

"And where were you while your waitress was getting manhandled by Captain Forehead?" Spike asked, not bothering to mask the annoyance in his voice.

"I was in the back store room, getting an order ready." Clem defended.

"And you don't have anyone here to watch out for them?" Spike asked.

"Well, usually Xander's here and he's pretty good with security." Clem said.

"And when he's not this happens? You know how blokes get when they get a bit of booze in em." Spike said.

"I'm upset about this, too, Spike, but sometimes these things happen." Clem explained.

"Yeah, well not on my watch." Spike said before turning and storming out of the bar's front double doors.

When Spike got outside he walked a few steps down the sidewalk before pulling out his pack of smokes and trusty lighter. He quickly lit one up and took a long, slow drag as he leaned against the brick wall behind him. He rested his head against the wall and let the cold night air caress his face as the toxic fumes of the cigarette filled his lungs again. It was strangely calming after all the drama the night had produced, and all over a girl he barely even knew.

"Hey."

Speak of the devil.

Spike opened his eyes and looked down at the beautiful blonde standing next to him. She truly was a sight. Her eyes somehow seemed brighter and the light hit her hair in just the right way to make her look like an angel in the moonlight. She was wearing a black pea coat that reached half way to her knees with a dark pair of straight legged jeans tucked in to her heeled knee high boots.

"Hey there, love." He said lifting his head from the wall.

"I, I just wanted to, uh, thank you, you know, for tonight." Buffy stammered.

Spike shrugged. "Any other bloke would have done the same thing."

Buffy leaned against the wall next to him. "No, they wouldn't have." She said looking down at her feet.

"Look, Spike-"

"Buffy, I-" they both started at the same time.

Buffy smiled and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Go ahead."

"I just wanted to apologize for my behavior last night. I was completely out of line." Spike said.

"No, I was kind of a bitch, too." She said.

"I right deserved it, love. I should never have come on to you like that. Just sometimes after a gig, I get cocky, ya know? I get a big head being on the stage and sometimes I can get a bit out of control." He explained. "Need someone to put me in my place once in a while."

"I get that," she said, "it must be some type of rush up there."

"You have no idea." Spike said, a smile lighting his features. "But I am sorry, I was a right git and deserved every bit of bitchy Buffy."

Buffy let out a small laugh. "Well, I think you more than redeemed yourself tonight."

"Really?" Spike asked. Buffy nodded. "So we're good then, yeah?"

"Yeah, we're good." She agreed. They sat in a comfortable silence for a minute before Buffy spoke again. "Well, I should get going."

"Can I catch you a cab?" Spike asked.

She shook her head. "I can only afford the bus."

Spike narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "No."

"No?" She asked.

He took one last puff of his cigarette before throwing it to the ground, exhaling slowly, and stomping it out with his foot. "How 'bout letting a new friend drive you home?"

Buffy smiled. "Okay."

* * *

**AN: I know a lot of you are going to be peeved that I haven't updated The Entity, but rest assured that I have not abandoned that story. This one has been in my mind for quite some time and my muse has decided to cooperate with me and let me write it. I am a firm believer that if your heart isn't in the story, then you shouldn't be writing it. The last thing I want to do is cheat my readers or myself out of what will surely be a wonderful ride with The Entity by writing half-assed chapters.**

**That being said, this is my new story and I hope you all enjoy it. I have a lot of wonderful plans for it and if you stick with me, it'll be a great adventure through the wonderful world that is Spuffy.**

**Love and Lust.**

**-T.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: A huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed! I was incredibly nervous about posting this one and when I did I was so incredibly happy about the response. I have so many incredible places I plan to take this and can't wait for you all to read them. This chapter is a bit shorter than the first one, but I really wanted to post something for you guys. Without further ado, on to chapter two! :)**

-

Spike led Buffy to the employee parking lot of The Shadow Gallery and walked over to an old black car, the make and model she wasn't sure of. He took the key out of his pants pocket and unlocked the door before yanking on the handle roughly and pulling the squeaking door open with more effort than normal.

"Your chariot, my lady." He said as he tucked his left arm behind his back and held the door open for her.

Buffy wasn't sure what type of car she had expected Spike to have, but this was without a doubt the last thing she had expected an up and coming rock star to own. Nonetheless, she hopped inside and heard a loud pop as Spike closed the door behind her. She took a quick glance around and noticed the inside was in the same shape as the outer had been. Spike got in to the drivers seat and went through a couple extra motions before the motor roared to life and he sat back with a satisfied smile on his face.

"Nice car." Buffy said sarcastically.

"Hey," he said in mock anger, "not a word out of you about my wheels. Bloke's got to keep something to remind him where he came from. Keeps him from getting a big head."

"I just expected you to have something a little more flashy." She explained.

"Have that, too," he said with a chuckle, "bike'll be here tomorrow morning. Can you give me a heading?"

"Oh, right," Buffy said, "it's really easy. Just take a left at the end of the road, a right at the light, and then straight for a while."

Spike took off out of the parking lot and down the street, making it to the left turn a lot quicker than she would have thought possible. He followed her directions and soon they were on the lengthy stretch of road that would lead them most of the way back to Buffy's dorm. They sat in a somewhat strange silence for a few minutes before Spike broke in with the question she was dreading him asking.

"So," he said, "that guy-"

"Angel?"

"Yeah, him, he an ex-girlfriend of yours or something?"

Buffy let out a small laugh. "Something like that."

"Well what happened?" He asked.

Buffy looked over at him, eyebrow raised and lips curling in to the faintest ghost of a smile. "Nosy aren't we?"

"I just bloody well kicked his ass back there, yeah? I think I'm entitled to a little explanation." He said glancing over at her, a laugh lacing itself between his words.

Buffy sighed. "We dated for a couple of months about a year ago."

"Didn't end well, I take it." Spike said.

She nodded her head absentmindedly,turning to gaze out of the passenger side window. "You're right about that one." She breathed. "He called me on day and told me he wanted to see the world, which I do, too, don't get me wrong, but I want to finish school first."

"So let me get this straight," he said, "that wanker broke up with a ten like you so he could go waltz through the jungle somewhere?"

"Pretty much." Buffy said. "He wanted me to leave school and go with him, just up and leave. I want to make something of myself, you know? I didn't want to go traveling until I ran out of money and come back with nothing going for me."

"That's because you've got a bloody brain, pet." Spike said. "So..."

She sighed again and tucked a piece of golden hair behind her ear, a nervous tick she had had since she was a child. "Can we not talk about this right now? I appreciate what you did tonight, but the rest of the story, its a total downer and I just really-"

"Of course, luv. Say no more." Spike could tell she didn't want to talk about it and decided not to press the issue. He had already gotten on her bad side once since he had met her and, as much as he had enjoyed it, he didn't want to have to beat up another one of her ex's to get back in her good graces any time soon.

"Turn left here." She said as the sign for Roth University came in to view.

"You live on campus?" Spike asked, making the turn a bit slowly compared to the last one.

"Yup, me and Willow."

"Willow?" He asked, a mocking tone in his voice. Gee, these girls around here had some funny names.

"She's my roommate. You can just pull over here, I can walk." She said.

"No, no," Spike said as he drove in through the gate, "I said I'd see you home and I am keeping my word."

Buffy just smiled and shook her head. The rest of the drive was spent with Buffy giving him directions to her dorm and before they knew it, they had arrived. Spike put the car in park and took the key from the ignition. They sat in silence for a few seconds, neither one really sure what to do at this point.

"Well, I, uh, I should probably get in there." Buffy stammered, motioning toward the building. "Thanks for the, you know, the ride home and everything."

"Anytime." He said quietly.

Buffy smiled as she tried to open the door. She pulled the handle and pushed, but the thing didn't move an inch. She quickly tried a second time, but it was still to no avail. She turned her face back to Spike, a light blush evident even in the darkness of the night. "It's stuck." Spike let out a soft chuckle as he leaned over her, pulled the handle out, down, and pushed it to the left. The door swung free with a loud squeak. "Thanks," she said, "I'll see you later."

She got out of the car and pushed the door shut behind her. She was half way up the pathway to her building when she heard the door to his car open. "Buffy!" She heard him call. She turned on her heel and saw him walking with long strides toward her, hand tucked in to his pockets. He smiled as he approached her, looking like a shy child on his first day of school.

His tongue quickly darted out between his lips as he gave them a quick lick before he cleared his throat, only then did he meet her eyes. "Would you go out with me tomorrow night?"

Buffy smiled sweetly and she saw his eyes momentarily light up in excitement. "I can't."

And that was all it took to bring him back down to earth. "Not the answer I was expecting."

"I mean, I'd love to," she said, "but I have this mid-term on Wednesday and I really need to study for it. Willow and I actually planned an all-nighter with books and snacks and everything."

Spike raised an eyebrow. "Sounds exciting." He said.

Buffy shrugged. "College student."

"How about Friday night?" He asked.

"Working."

"You don't make this easy, do you?" Buffy didn't say anything, she just gave him a somewhat sad looking smile, as if to apologize without actually saying sorry. He sighed as he ran a quick hand through his hair. "Can I at least have your number?" Buffy smiled that same sad smile again. "If you tell me you don't have a phone..."

Buffy's quick laugh cut him off. "No, I have a phone," she said as she stuffed a hand inside her purse, "it's right here." She pulled out an old, beat up looking blackberry.

Spike smiled, relieved to get some type of progress with the girl, and pulled his out as well. The two exchanged numbers before putting their phones back in their respective places.

"Okay, cool," Buffy said, "I'll call you."

"I prefer texting," Spike replied, "easier to get away with, bit more private."

Buffy laughed, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. Only then did she notice the long sleeves that were covering her arms. "Oh, I almost forgot about your shirt." She said as she began twisting in an effort to remove the garment from her body.

"No." Spike whispered, reaching forward and pulling the collar snugly around her neck, "I'm gonna let you hold on to it."

Buffy's brows furrowed in confusion as she looked up to meet his eyes again. "Why?"

The devastatingly attractive, lopsided smirk graced his lips as he reached for her hand, raising it slowly between their bodies. "Gives me an excuse to see you again, pet." He bowed his head and lifted her encased hand to his lips, kissing it softly. "Night, luv."

With that, he released her hand and walked back to his car. He quickly started the engine and pulled away from both the building and the stunned Buffy Summers standing just outside of it.

-

"Explain Plato's myth of the cave." Willow said as she bit in to the sliced red apple in her hand.

"It's about the prisoners in the cave and one gets released, and there's those shadows on the wall." Buffy half explained, moving her hands in a circular motion as if it would bring on the rest of the information. "It's talking about the plight of the philosopher. I know this one, it's just-"

"It's hard to get out." Willow nodded in agreement.

They had been studying for their philosophy mid-term for hours now and were getting fairly confident in the thought that they would pass. The room was trashed with books, soda cans, and random snacks that they had scattered around so they wouldn't have to leave the room, and valuable study time, for anything.

"My brain in fried," Buffy said from her spot on the littered floor, "can we take a little break?"

Willow practically threw the book away from her. "I thought you'd never ask."

Buffy pulled herself off of the floor and moved to lay down on her bed. "This week has been so crazy with the working, and the studying-"

"And the crushing rock star." Willow interjected. "Why don't you just go out on that date with him?"

"I don't know, I just, don't want to?"

"Oh, come on Buffy," Willow said moving to sit on the bed next to her, "we both know you want to. What are you so afraid of?"

"Come on, Wills, me and dating don't mix. We're just unmixy things, and if we do mix it always ends up bad." She said.

"We're not talking about Xander and Chinese food, Buffy," Willow said, "it's your life. You only get one."

"Willow," Buffy practically moaned, "please don't do this."

"You need to hear it, Buffy. Just because things didn't work out with you and Angel doesn't mean you should just give up on guys altogether." Willow said.

"I know, and I'm not, but with Spike it would just be destined to fail. Why sign myself up for the heartache?" Buffy asked.

"But a life without love-"

Buffy sighed. "I don't know if I even believe in love. I mean, look at my parents. They thought they loved each other and look how it turned out. They're still married, but they hardly even look at each other. They're both so miserable and they take it out on me and Dawn."

"That doesn't happen all the time." Willow said.

"It happens often enough." Buffy said. "Everyone gets divorced nowadays and there are so many broken families and everything, I just don't want to set myself up for that."

"Well," Willow said, "if you just stay alone the rest of your life you may not get hurt, but you won't get loved either."

"I know," Buffy said, "and I don't want to be alone forever, but at the same time I don't want to jump in to things unless I'm absolutely certain it's going to work out. I just want someone to prove to me that it'll be worth it."

"Buffy," Willow said, "are you scared?"

She sighed. "I guess I am."

Willow nodded slowly, putting a comforting arm on Buffy's shoulder. "Define anti-realism."

Before they knew it the sun was up and it was time for them to file in to class and take their test. Buffy and Willow had been up until nearly three in the morning and were both thanking God for coffee today. They were both frantically still quizzing one another as they walked in to the classroom and took their seats. At 9:05 on the dot, their professor walked in and began passing out the tests.

"Alright everyone, I trust you all studied." He said as he made his way through the room. "This is multiple choice with one essay question." Buffy felt the slight rumbling of her phone from her bag on the floor and quickly reached down to turn it off. "No cell phones, Miss Summers."

Buffy looked up and saw the teacher staring directly at her. "Just turning it off now, sir." She said, flashing him a smile. He nodded and turned back to giving out the papers.

She looked at her phone and decided to quickly read whatever text she had just received.

_From: Spike  
Good luck._

A small, genuine smile lit up her face as she turned the phone off and placed it back in her bag.

"You can begin."

**So, what did you guys think? I am DYING to hear your thoughts. I am writing the next chapter now and reviews do fuel my writing fire. :)**

**Love & Lust,**

**-T.**


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter is dedicated to ACeH-aH for being awesome and so supportive of my writing, and letting me bounce ideas off of her. So, darling, this one is for you. :)**

**Chapter 3**

Two hours and one hundred and fifty questions later, Buffy left the classroom and made her way over to the cluster of tables across the hall. She sat down in one of the chairs and sat her bag on the table in front of her to wait for Willow. She pulled her phone out of her bag and turned it back on, smiling as the text from Spike greeted her eyes again. It was a small gesture, but for some reason it meant a lot to her.

Just as she was about to respond her phone vibrated in her hand with a text from Xander.

_Xander :_

_Celebratory Willow-and-Buffy-passed-their-mid-term Party Night?_

Buffy laughed to herself, typical Xander.

_Buffy: _

_Tonight?_

_Xander:_

_Yeah, Riley's working at The Fame tonight._

_Buffy:_

_That Hollywood themed bar in the city with drinks named after celebrities?_

_Xander:_

_Free drinks are free drinks. You in?_

Buffy thought for a moment, she hadn't drank in quite a while and she could use a break from school work, studying, and working. As if on cue, Willow walked out of the classroom and began walking toward Buffy. She smiled as she sat down in the chair next to her.

"How did you do?" Willow asked.

"I think I did okay," she said, "I completely forgot the positions on the meaning of life."

"That's okay, I skipped both questions about art." Willow said reassuringly.

"Xander wants to take us out for drinks tonight at The Fame." Buffy said.

"Really?" Willow asked, messing with a loose string on her t-shirt.

"Yeah, Riley's bar-tending so it'll be a pretty cheap night." Buffy explained. "So what do you think?"

"Well, we are done our one and only mid-term." Willow said. "But I think we're in need of a little consumer therapy, too."

Buffy couldn't help the excited smile that climbed across her features. "Mall time?"

Willow nodded. "Mall time."

The two friends grabbed their things off of the table and walked out of the building, Buffy sending a quick text to Xander as they went.

_Buffy:_

_We're in. See you there at 7. :)_

To say that their shopping trip was a success would be an extreme understatement. They had both spent far more than they really should, but using their school stress as an excuse made neither of them really care. They had gone through the first floor of the mall before eating lunch at the sushi restaurant there and, armed with some Starbucks, took on the rest of the mall. They had gotten outfits specifically for tonight as well as some everyday clothes and some work clothes for Buffy. They got a few things for their dorm and had a great day hanging out the way only best friends could.

As they got ready to go the club, Buffy couldn't help but think about what had happened a few nights ago at The Shadow Gallery. She hadn't seen Angel since then, but she knew it was only a matter of time. He always had the supernatural ability to show up at the very worst times. She wondered what would happen next time they'd meet, and what would happen if he came face to face with Spike again.

Spike.

He was another thing she couldn't seem to get off of her mind. She tried to justify it to herself by saying it was just because he was a celebrity, that she was just a bit star struck, but she had an awful feeling that that wasn't the case. She didn't want to fool herself in to thinking that there could be anything between the two of them, he was a rock star for God's sake! He'd be gone soon enough and she hoped that him leaving would be enough to get him out of her head.

She quickly put the finishing touches on her makeup and looked herself over in the mirror. She was wearing a pair of dark blue straight legged jeans, a deep red top, and cropped leather jacket all topped off with a multi-chained silver necklace and black clutch bag. She was wearing a little bit more eye makeup than normal, but when a girl wanted a smokey-eye look there really was no other alternative. Her jeans were tucked in to her favorite black boots and her blonde hair was done in a sort of cute crimp.

She turned and looked at Willow who was wearing a long gray tunic shirt and black leggings with a light blue, unbuttoned long sweater on top. She was wearing a pair of black heels and carrying a silver bag. She, too, had decided to go for a smokey-eye and her hair was stuck out in some places giving her a borderline punk style.

"You ready?" Buffy asked.

"Sure am." Willow said standing from her vanity and walking over to Buffy. "How do I look?"

"Wonderful." Buffy said smiling. "Let's go."

The bus ride had taken a little longer than normal and by the time Buffy and Willow arrived it was almost 7:30. They walked inside and instantly spotted Xander sitting at one of the high top black tables across the room. They made their way over to him, the strobe lights and disco ball making it a little difficult to see where they were going at first. As they made their way across the dance floor and their eyes began to adjust, they could feel eyes on them and knew Xander was going to have his hands full playing bodyguard tonight.

"About time you got here." Xander said laughingly as the girls walked up to the table.

"Sorry," Buffy said, "the bus was late and then it had to stop every other block."

"Apparently everyone wants to get out tonight." Willow said.

"Happens every mid-term and finals week," Xander said, "even The Shadow Gallery gets a little crazy."

"Well, let's not just sit here," Buffy said, "let's get dancing!" Buffy said grabbing Willow's hand and leading her to the dance floor.

"I'm gonna go get us some drinks." Xander said standing up and moving toward the bar. "I'll meet you out there."

"Okay." Buffy called over her shoulder.

The time, songs, and drinks kept flying by as Buffy, Willow, and Xander drank and danced together. The tipsy girls were gaining quite a bit of attention and Xander did his best to watch their backs. Sure, they had each danced with a couple of guys, but the second any of them got a little too comfortable all they had to do was send a look to Xander and he'd waste no time shooing them off.

"I'm having so much fun." Willow said as the three danced in a circle together.

"Me, too." Buffy said. "We need to do this more often."

"As long as Riley's at the bar I'm in." Xander said. Suddenly, his phone began ringing and the three laughed as they realized his ring tone was the same song that was currently playing through the club's speakers. "It's my landlord, I've got to take this."

"Okay." Buffy said.

"We'll be right here." Willow said. Xander nodded and quickly made his way out of the club's front doors. "I want another drink, want anything while I'm up there?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, I'm good."

"Okay, I'll be right back." Willow said as she turned on her heel and began the short walk over to the bar, leaving Buffy alone in the crowd of people. She continued to dance to the bouncy beat of the song, being alone had never stopped her before.

"Buffy?"

She looked over her shoulder and was surprised to see none other than Spike making his way through the crowd. He had his blonde hair slicked back and wearing his normal full black clothing. He had a beer bottle in his hand and took a quick swig of it as he walked toward her.

"Spike?" She said smiling.

"How are you?" He asked as he reached her.

"I'm good," she said.

"You here by yourself?" He asked, raising an eyebrow and glancing around.

"No, Xander and Willow are here." She said. "How about you?"

"Oz is around here somewhere." He answered.

The bouncy dance song ended and a the beginning of a slow one filled its place as the crowd surrounding them paired off in to couples and began to sway slowly to the music. Buffy tucked her hair behind her ear, feeling a bit of awkward nervousness in the now intimate surroundings. Seeing this as his perfect opportunity he handed his beer bottle to some random person and cleared his throat.

"Miss Summers," he said, a small grin lighting his face as he extended his hand to her as he tucked his other behind his back, leaning forward slightly, "may I have this dance?"

She smiled shyly before placing her hand in to his and letting him take her in to his arms. He raised her hand to his shoulder and she let her other follow in suit. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him as they began to sway back and forth to the music.

"So," Buffy said, "what are you doing here?"

"Well, right now," he started slowly, "I'm dancing with the most beautiful girl in the club."

Buffy felt a blush rise in her cheeks. "Quite the charmer, aren't you?" She joked.

"Depends," Spike said, "are you charmed?"

"Not yet." She said with a sly smile.

Spike let out a low chuckle. "Actually, I thought I wouldn't get recognized here. Not a normal crawl for a guy like me." He explained motioning toward the strobe lights and flashy decorations.

Buffy laughed. "Sorry to crush your dreams on anonymity."

"Nonsense," he said shaking his head slightly, "running in to you has undoubtedly made my night."

"Oh my God!" Someone yelled from next to them. "Are you Spike Pratt?"

Spike sighed. "Bloody hell." He whispered so only Buffy could hear. He turned and glanced at the girl who was currently staring at him wide-eyed, a polite smile plastered on his face.

"Oh my God! It is you! I am your BIGGEST FAN!" She yelled.

Spike looked at Buffy, giving her an apologetic look as he removed his arms from her waist and turned toward the girl. He extended his hand to her, intending to shake her hand. "It's very nice to meet you."

"I can't believe this is happening!" She said clapping her hands together like a delighted little girl.

Buffy felt as if she were intruding on some type of moment for the girl and decided to take her leave. She made her way over to the bar and could hardly believe her eyes when she saw Willow sitting next to none other than Oz Osbourne. She walked up to Willow and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Buffy!" Willow said excitedly. "Come here, I want you to meet Oz. Oz, this is Buffy."

"We've met." Oz said sending a smile Buffy's way. "Spike find you?"

"Spike?" Willow asked excitedly looking at Buffy.

"Um, yeah," Buffy said, "but some fan came up and I decided it was time to walk away."

She noticed his eyes jump behind her as a lopsided grin graced his lips. "He'll shake her soon enough. He can't stand those fangirl types."

"Hey guys." Xander's voice said from behind them. Buffy and Willow both turned and saw him looking rather perplexed.

"You okay, Xan?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, you look a little upset." Willow said.

"Well, apparently the apartment next door caught fire and spread to mine." He explained.

"Is everything okay?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know, I'm about to head home now and see what damage was done."

"Do you want us to come with you?" Willow asked.

"No, I'll be fine." Xander said. "I'll call you guys later and let you know what happened."

"Alright." Willow said.

"We'll see you later, then." Buffy said.

Xander nodded. "Bye guys, look out for each other."

"Don't worry," Oz said from his seat, "they're in good hands. Right Spike?"

At the mention of his name, Buffy spun around and only then noticed him standing behind her. How long had he been there?

"Right, good luck with the apartment, mate." Obviously long enough to hear that.

"Thanks." With that Xander turned around, said goodbye to Riley, and made his way out of the bar.

Oz turned and looked at Spike. "I see you got rid of that fan." He said.

"Yeah." He said before turning his attention to Buffy. "I'm really sorry about that, pet."

She shrugged and smiled. "It's okay, I'm sure it happens a lot."

"You have no idea." He said. "Let me buy you a drink to make it up to ya?"

She shook her head. "I think I'm done for the night, actually." She saw the disappointment clearly in his face for just a second before he shook it off in pure pro fashion. "I'd love a soda though."

He nodded and motioned for the bartender. "What'll it be?" Riley asked.

"A Spike Pratt for me," he said, "and a soda for the lady."

Riley nodded and turned away to make their drinks.

"Did you really just order yourself?" Buffy asked, a laugh lacing itself between her words.

"Yeah," he said with a chuckle, "always wondered what I taste like."

Buffy laughed and looked back over to Oz and Willow. The two were sitting very close to one another, engaged in conversation, Willow grinning like a fool. Buffy smiled, genuinely happy for her friend. She had to admit, they would make a cute couple if it ever got to that.

Buffy turned her attention back to Spike who was quickly sucking down his drink. "So how do you taste?"

He shrugged. "I'm alright." He said.

"Just alright?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah," he said glancing down at her, raising a scarred eyebrow at her as he leaned his elbows against the bar, "you want a taste?" Feeling a bit bolder that usual due to the consumption of alcohol, she leaned forward and grabbed his drink, taking a long, smooth drink. "What do ya think?"

It was Buffy's turn to raise an eyebrow at him now as she cocked her head to the side. "Wouldn't you like to know?" She hopped off of her stool and waltzed past him and back out to the dance floor.

Spike watched her walk past and let his eyes linger on her backside as she walked away from him. "You have no idea." He growled, stalking behind her with long strides like a lion on the hunt.

Buffy hadn't realized just how much she had had to drink until she was back out on the floor. Her head was spinning and she felt a little warm, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. She stopped in the middle of the floor and began to dance to a song she didn't recognize, but could move to nonetheless. She knew Spike was following behind her without even looking and the thought of that excited her a little more than she should.

She wasn't at all surprised when she felt arms lock around her waist from behind and begin to move in time with her. "It's not smart for a cute little thing like you to walk off alone like that, pet." He whispered in her ear. "Never know what kind of terrible beasties are out waiting in the shadows of a club like this."

She spun and turned to face him, throwing one arm over his shoulder. "I knew you'd follow me."

"Oh, yeah?" He asked wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Yeah." She answered.

"And how'd you know that?" He asked.

"Because I never answered your question." She said smiling.

He grinned his trademark grin. "You gonna answer me now?"

Buffy shook her head. "For me to know and you to find out."

"Oh, baby," he said moving his free hand to tangle in her blonde hair, "I plan to find out," he pulled her face closer to his and spoke only a few inches from her lips, "right now."

With that, his lips crashed down on to hers in a searing, passionate kiss.

**Thoughts? Reviews? :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:**

**The songs used in this chapter are Blocking Brainwaves by Ghost of the Robot and The Space Between by Dave Matthews Band. I fully suggest opening up youtube and listening to them while reading their parts in this chapter. Kind of adds to the experience and helps get you a little closer in to my world.**

**I'll be using a lot of Ghost of the Robot songs in this fic simply because it's James Marsters' band and I just love the songs.**

**This chapter is dedicated to my wonderful ACeH-aH for her constant support, as well as Idiosyncratic Delusions for leaving reviews that are endlessly entertaining. You two are the best! :)**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

To say Buffy was nervous as she walked toward The Shadow Gallery was an understatement. Ever since Wednesday night she had dreaded work on Friday knowing that she would have to see Spike again, that she'd have to face what had happened. She knew she couldn't go on ignoring his texts or calls like she had all day Thursday, but with every step she took near the bar she felt her heart speed up.

She quietly opened the front door, hoping to get in unnoticed and possibly hide in the back until The Flesh of the Passions were done practicing.

"Hey Buffy!"

Of course Clem would be the one to ruin that little dream.

Having no other options, she walked in to the bar, head held high and doing everything she could not to glace toward the band. She saw an older man and a woman around her age sitting at one of the tables near the stage next to Clem. She walked up to the table and tried her best to act like she didn't notice the certain bleached blonde watching her from the raised platform.

"Hey, what's going on?" Buffy asked.

"Buffy, this is the bands manager," he said motioning toward the older man, "and his apprentice." Clem said.

"Nice to meet you." Buffy said with a smile extending her hand to the older man.

"Call me Giles." The older man said standing and shaking her hand.

Buffy smiled and turned her attention to the woman. She stood and extended her hand as well. "Anya Jenkins," she said, "you can call me Anya, or Miss Jenkins, or Anya Jenkins, or whatever you want."

Buffy laughed quietly and shook Anya's hand. "Nice to meet you, too."

"We've heard a lot about you." Anya said.

Buffy's eyebrows furrowed as she glanced at Anya with a curious look. "Have you?"

"Oh, yeah!" Anya said. "I heard how you turned Spike down like a fool, and then he beat up your ex boyfriend and you guys hung out at the club last night."

Clem glanced over at Buffy, a delighted look on his face.

Buffy tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Wow, you have heard a lot."

"Do you plan on dating Mr. Pratt?" Anya asked.

"Anya." Giles said in a warning tone. Anya simply smiled and sat back down as Buffy silently thanked God for this wonderful Giles guy.

"There's going to be an unannounced show here tonight." Clem said.

Buffy cocked her head to the side. "Is that a normal thing to do?"

"Well, no, actually," Giles said, "but when a band has a bar that they feel gave a home to them, it's not unheard of."

Buffy nodded. "What do you need me to do?" She asked Clem.

"Just set up like we would for any other concert." Clem said.

Buffy nodded and quickly turned on her heel and made her way behind the bar to start cleaning up for what was sure to be an interesting night ahead.

* * *

Spike had noticed her the second she had walked through the door, even before Clem had called her name. She had ignored him the entire day before and he had no idea as to why. The night at the club they had kissed, but only once and everything seemed normal after that. She had no objections to letting Spike drive her and Willow back to their dorm and had even said she would call him the next day.

What the hell had happened?

As he watched her walk across the bar, he noticed that she was looking everywhere except up at the stage. He didn't want to seem like some sort of a stalker so he turned and continued to work on the set-list for that night, but he did notice her walk over and have a short conversation with Giles and Anya before practically fleeing behind the bar and cleaning everything off with a rag.

"Something happen with you two?" Oz asked, noticing the same strange behavior that Spike had picked up on.

"I'm not sure." Spike said. He hadn't told Oz about the kiss and he was willing to bet that Buffy hadn't told her friend either.

"She didn't seem too happy to see you." Oz commented. Spike turned and looked at his long time friend with a look in his eyes that just screamed 'do you want to be beaten to a bloody pulp?' Oz knew he was on some dangerous territory and decided to let the subject drop. "Let's just finish practice."

Spike nodded and picked up his guitar. "Let's try that new song we've been working on."

* * *

Buffy had just finished wiping down all of the tables and chairs when she heard the guys leave the stage and head over to the table to talk with Giles and Anya. Xander had just gotten in and was busy setting up the glasses and liquor the way he liked. His apartment had been pretty badly burned in the fire and he would be stuck living in another apartment until the damage was repaired.

Buffy walked up to the bar and threw her rag in to the sink behind it. "Hey Xan." She said.

"What's up Buffster?" He said offering her a smile.

"Not much," she said, "you need any help?"

Xander looked around him, pointing at things and seemingly checking them off of a list in his head. "I could use another case of those peanuts we keep in the stock room."

Buffy nodded and walked through the small set of doors with the words 'Employees Only' on it and went in to the stock room. It was fairly organized and she found the case of peanuts easily, the only problem was that they were on the top shelf, far above her head.

"Can I help you out, luv?" Spike said from the doorway.

Buffy closed her eyes as her heart sank to her stomach. She quickly gained some composure and turned to meet his eyes, plastic smile on her face.

"No, I've got it." She said before turning back to the shelves.

She stood on her tiptoes and hit the box multiple times with the tips of her fingers. Spike crossed his arms over his chest and watched her, thoroughly amused by her antics. Suddenly, the box lost its balance and came falling down. It would hit her if a pair of strong hands hadn't caught it and held it in place. He pulled the box down from the shelf and sat it in an opening on a lower shelf.

"Thanks." She said grabbing the box and attempting to walk past him. Spike was having none of that. He extended his arm across the doorway, effectively blocking her only way out. Buffy sighed. "Can you let me out?" She asked, obviously annoyed.

"No." He said simply.

She rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. "Spike." She said warningly.

"You're ignoring me?" He asked.

"I am not." Buffy said simply, trying to walk past him.

"Yes," he said, still not letting her pass, "you are."

Buffy sighed and sat the box back up on the shelf. "What makes you say that?"

"Well," Spike said, cocking his head to the side, "you didn't answer my texts or phone call yesterday."

"Maybe my phone's broken."

"And you come in here today and don't even acknowledge me or the band on stage." He said.

"I was late, needed to come and get my work done." She defended.

"Bullocks." He said, annoyance growing in his voice. "We kissed, Buffy."

"So?" She said crossing her arms across her chest.

"So we kissed and now all of a sudden bitchy Buffy's back and I don't know what I did to make that happen." He said.

"Oh, so you're calling me a bitch?" Buffy asked, anger evident in her tone.

"No, Christ, that's not what I mean." Spike said running a hand through his hair.

"Well then why don't you say what you mean?" Buffy asked, the anger and frustration rising.

"I'm trying to all you want to do is screech at me and make me look like the bad guy." Spike said, his own voice rising.

"You took advantage of me, I'd say you made yourself the bad guy."

"How in the blood hell did I take advantage of you?" He yelled.

"You kissed me!" She yelled back.

"Takes two to tango, luv!" He defended.

"I was drunk!" She screamed.

Spike scoffed, shaking his head. "Convenient little excuse."

"What the hell does that mean?" She asked.

"I've spent a lot of sodding time in bars and clubs and I can tell when a girl has had too much. You were nowhere near that!" He yelled.

"So you're calling me a liar?" Buffy yelled.

"I'm calling you scared!" He yelled. "For some stupid bloody reason you're terrified to let yourself admit that you wanted that kiss just as much as I did so you're trying to blame the alcohol! That's a fucking cop out and I don't buy it, Summers! Whatever the hell your damage is, you need to get over it and stop trying to blame every other bloody object, bloke, and drink on the planet! The only thing to blame here is yourself!"

Buffy glared at him from her spot against the shelves in the stock room. Her eyes were red and brimming with tears that were threatening to fall at any second. "Get away from me."

Spike nodded once and pushed himself off of the wall with the hand that was still blocking her way. "No problem, I'm gone."

With that he walked out of the stock room and through the main bar area. He could tell by the way everyone's eyes followed him that everyone there had heard the entire thing. At this point, though, he didn't care. He made his way across the room and over to the entrance. He opened the door and stepped outside, slamming the door loudly behind him.

Everyone looked at one another in stunned silence over what they had just overheard until Anya asked the question she thought was on everyone's minds.

"Think he'll be back for the show?"

* * *

Willow was happily reading one of her random books that she had picked up from the school library and sipping some of the tea her mother had sent her when she heard the loud knocking on the door to the dorm she shared with Buffy. She cocked her head to the side, she wasn't expecting any visitors tonight and Buffy would still be at work. As another round of knocks assaulted her door, she rushed over to open it.

"Spike?" She asked, surprise evident in her voice.

"Why is she making this so difficult?" Spike asked, barging in to the room.

Willow watched as he paced back and forth, obviously angry about something. "I'm assuming we're talking about Buffy here?"

"Who else would I be talking about?" He barked.

Willow's eyes widened. "Woah, hey, yeah, why don't you have a seat and we'll talk about whatever is going on." Spike promptly flopped down on what he didn't even realize was Buffy's bed, legs spread apart, right elbow leaning on his knee as his hand held up his head. Willow sat down on her bed, crossing her legs underneath her and gingerly holding her tea. "Now what happened?"

"I don't have a bloody clue." He said, a little louder than he had meant to. "We kissed the other night-"

"You kissed?" Willow asked excitedly. Spike gave her a small nod. "Sorry," she said, "I just didn't know that until now. Continue."

Spike told her what had happened and Willow listened intently, asking questions when she had them and paying complete attention to what he was saying. Secretly, Willow had been hoping that the two would get together since the first time Buffy had told her about him and was willing to do what she could to help. She had even given the pairing a nickname in her head, Spuffy, even though she'd never tell them that.

"So then she told me to get away from her and now I'm here." Spike finished. "I just don't know what to do. I never lose my head like this over a girl and she's just making it so bloody difficult. I mean, give a bloke a chance, yeah?"

Willow nodded. "You remember that guy Angel?" She asked.

"Big wanker with the five-head, yeah, I remember him. Remember kicking his ass, too. Maybe someone should remind Buffy of that little tidbit." He said.

"Did Buffy ever tell you anything that happened between them?" Willow asked.

Spike shook his head. "She started to, told me something about him wanting to explore the world or some bloody bullshit."

Willow sighed and sat her tea on the table next to her bed, deciding finally what to do. "Listen, Spike, she's probably going to kill me for this, but I think if I tell you about them you might understand why Buffy is acting the way she is."

Spike sat back and got comfortable, he could tell this was going to be a long one.

"When she moved here, she didn't really know anybody. When we got paired together to be roommates, you should have seen how happy she was to finally have someone she knew by name. It was really sad, actually, and I felt bad for her so I introduced her to Xander. He liked her right away and tried so hard to get out of the friend zone, but it just never worked for them." Willow said. "And then she met Angel. He was in her Chemistry class her first semester and they got paired up as lab partners. They hit it off right away and Buffy would come back to the dorm all excited telling me about how great Angel was and everything and they seemed really, really happy.

"That went on for about three months, but then Angel started getting weird. He always wanted to go out and get drunk with his friends, he would invite Buffy along but she wasn't in to really heavy drinking the way that Angel and his friends were so she was usually the mother hen of the group, making sure everyone was okay and seeing that everyone got home safe. She didn't necessarily enjoy it, but she would do anything she could to hang out with him and be the cool girlfriend that he wanted."

Spike listened intently, hanging on every single word coming out of Willow's mouth. "So what happened?" He asked.

"Well," Willow started again, "eventually she met Angel's friend from home, Dru, well, Druscilla actually. She and Buffy were civil, but they weren't friends. I thought it was weird that he had never mentioned her before then, but I didn't really say anything to Buffy about it. Dru was always really jealous of Buffy whenever she would hang out with Angel and she would start faking sick so that Angel would take care of her at the parties, sticking her finger down her throat to throw up and all that stuff. She was a real psycho, but Angel never saw it that way. She was his childhood friend and no matter what, he would put her before Buffy."

"I can already see where this is going." Spike groaned.

Willow shook her head. "Trust me, you have no idea." She took a sip of her tea and then went on with the story. "Somehow Dru got it in her head that school was a waste of time and decided that she wanted to do a trip around the world while she was still young. She brought it up to Angel, and since his family has more money than God, he agreed to do it since he could always come back to school whenever he wanted. He told Buffy about it and wanted her to go with him, but Buffy's here on scholarship. If she leaves for even one semester, she's out for good and she doesn't have the money or family support to get herself through a school like Roth."

"So he left her?"

Willow nodded. "He told her that she was doing nothing but holding him back, it was hard but Buffy was somewhat okay with it. She had her priorities straight and knew it would be for the best. She cried for like, a week straight but in her heart she knew it was for the best. Well, about a month goes by and a bunch of Angel's friends are throwing a going away party for him and they invited Buffy. I told her it wasn't a good idea to go, but she insisted that this would be her being a bigger person. She told me she was going to go for a couple hours and then come home, no drinking or anything.

"Well, she got there and this thing was huge. It was in one of the frat houses on campus and there was probably about 200 people there to give him a proper send off. By the time she got there, Angel was already apparently really, really drunk and he was just so happy to see her. He carried her around on his arm the entire time she was there, much to the dismay of Dru."

"No," Spike said shaking his head, "don't tell me this is going where I think it's going."

"One thing led to another and they were eventually in one of the rooms, kissing and whatnot, and he tried to, you know, do things to her. She tried to push him away, but he's a lot bigger than her. She told him she didn't want to, but she said he was way too drunk at that point to even comprehend what she was saying, so she just went with it."

"So he raped her." Spike said, balling his hand in to a fist and knocking it against the mattress underneath him.

"That's what I said, but she didn't see it that way. She said that after they were done, doing the deed, they talked about everything. He told her that he still loved her and was going to tell Dru the next day that he wasn't going on the trip anymore and that they were going to get back together. She was so happy that night when she came home, but I knew it was a little weird.

"She went to see him the next day and he had absolutely no memory of even seeing her there. He told her that he was with Dru the entire night and that they were together now. He told her that he had finally gotten his childhood sweetheart and basically called her a freak and a liar. She was devastated and hasn't been with anyone since. He was her first love and he completely screwed her up."

Spike nodded, he completely understood how that was.

"When you said she was scared, you were completely right. She is terrified of getting hurt like that again and is determined to keep everyone at arms length so it never happens." Willow explained.

"Me yelling at her for trying to blame alcohol earlier probably didn't help things, either." Spike said sadly.

"Well," Willow said, "you didn't know."

Spike nodded as he thought over everything that Willow had told him. "So what do I do?" He asked.

"You have to prove to her that you're not going to hurt her," Willow said, "prove to her that you're not just after her for sex or a good time. She needs to be reassured that there are some good guys out there, and that you're one of them."

"How do I do that?" Spike asked.

Willow smiled. "You'll figure something out."

Spike looked at clock on Willow's nightstand. "Oh, bullocks, I've got to get back to the bar. We're doing a surprise gig tonight and a band can't go on without its singer." He stood up and made his way to the door. Half way through the room, he stopped and looked back at Willow. "He really likes you, by the way," Spike said, "Oz, that is."

Willow's smile brightened. "He, he does?" She asked.

Spike nodded. "Yeah." With that he left the dorm, but not quickly enough to miss Willow squeal in girlish excitement.

* * *

Spike practically flew back to the bar, head reeling with thoughts of Buffy. What Willow had told him had in fact helped him understand her and, at the same time, made him feel like complete shit for the way he had treated her earlier that day. He spun in to the employee parking lot and went in through the back door.

"Hey, man, you're back." Bob said happily.

"Feeling better?" Oz asked.

He ignored both of them and moved over to where he had left the set-list earlier in the day. When he found it, he picked a pen off of the table next to him and wrote something down at the bottom. "We're adding a song to the list." He said before walking off to go and put on his stage persona.

Oz and Bob both walked over to the piece of paper and looked at the song he had written at the bottom of the list. They looked at each other when they were done reading it and both knew exactly why they would be playing it.

* * *

News had spread about the bands surprise show and swarms of people smashed their way in to the bar. Every table and chair was occupied and the bar was crawling with customers. After the fight she had had with Spike earlier in the day, this was the last thing that she needed. She hadn't seen Angel, though, so that was a plus, but she knew she had enough tables to keep her occupied all night.

"Hey Buff." Cordelia said as they met at the bar.

"Hey." She said shortly. She handed her order over to Xander and walked away quickly.

"What's her deal?" Cordelia asked.

"You didn't hear?" Faith, another waitress, said as she handed her order over to Xander as well. "B and that Spike Pratt guy had quite the lover's quarrel in the stock room today."

"Lover's quarrel?" Cordelia asked.

"Yeah," Faith said, "apparently our baby Buffy got a little drunk the other night and played a game of tonsil hockey with Mr. Rock Star."

"Oh my God! No way!" Cordelia said.

Faith nodded. "Yup. She said he took advantage of her."

"Oh come on!" Cordelia said. "There's no way."

"Way. I heard she's pressing assault charges."

"Guys!" Xander yelled slamming his hands down on the counter. "They kissed. She was drunk. They had a fight. She is not pressing charges. Now stop talking about it and just do your jobs."

"Temper, temper." Faith said, raising her hands in a surrendering motion.

"Yeah, sorry Xander." Cordelia said.

The two girls dispersed as the bar lights dimmed and the stage ones lit up. "Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for The Flesh of the Passions!" The crowd cheered and screamed as the curtain was pulled back and the band was revealed.

Buffy glanced up at the stage and her eyes immediately met Spike's. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in his different, yet startlingly the same, stage look. He had a pair of dark blue jeans, decorated with holes in all the right places, meeting with black combat boots a few inches from the floor. He was wearing a black t-shirt adorned with safety pins and holes littered throughout it. The neckline was hand cut in to a low, skinny V shape and he had a padlock necklace and a pair of dog tags hanging from his neck. Instead of his hair being slicked back, it was spiked straight up and black eyeliner framed his shockingly blue eyes.

He kept his eyes locked with hers as the first few strums of his guitar filled the air.

_Do you want to be happy,_

_do you want to have fun?_

_Take on buried treasure,_

_I could be the one._

He tore his eyes away from her's and turned his attention to the rest of the crowd as he continued to sing.

_Hear me, out, he-ere. _

_Hear me, out..._

Buffy shook her head and walked up to one of her tables. "Is everyone doing okay?" She asked.

"Yeah." One of the guys answered.

_I can't describe,_

_Just can't subscribe._

_My televisions, glad to be alive._

"Another round, please." Another asked. She nodded and looked back up at the stage, a not expecting to see him looking at her, let alone for him to start singing to her.

_You say I can't relate to you,  
Some things I need to prove.  
Can't find the right words to use  
Brainwaves won't pass through._

She turned away from him and made her way back to the bar as the instrumental break gave Spike a small break. He had never actually done this before, sang directly to someone in the audience, but certain points in this song said what he really wanted to say to her. As he always did, he followed his instincts and hoped that this time they wouldn't get him in trouble.

Buffy walked behind the bar and gave Xander her tables order. From here she could see the entire band and had to admit that they weren't the worst band she had seen up there. She watched as Spike engaged the crowd and posed for photos before it was his time to sing again.

_When I wake up from seizures on an island full of slaves,  
All I see is smiles from the lack of brainwaves.  
There is no thinking so I check my mind in at the door,  
Nothing to contemplate I won't need it anymore._

There was a smaller instrumental break and Buffy saw him glace around the crowd to find her again. She didn't know how he saw her from so far across the room, but somehow she knew he did.

_Ignorance it must be bliss,  
Never dealing with things like this.  
Thinking happy comes from a kiss,  
Regret all you've missed._

The crowd cheered as the song ended and Spike nodded in thanks. "Thank you!" he said, igniting another round of applause. "We are The Flesh of the Passions, and we think you are all a bunch of animals." Bob began to play the drums and Spike continued to talk over them. "So when this shit kicks in," he said, "get up off the floor... JUMP!"

* * *

About two hours later, the show was coming to a close and Buffy couldn't have been more happy. The entire time they had been playing, she could feel Spike's eyes on her and she was sure by the looks she was getting that she wasn't the only one who had noticed. All of her tables had been taken care of and she had a few minutes of a break. The final notes of a song Buffy didn't know rang out through the bar as the crowd erupted in cheers and applause again. She stood in the middle of the bar and looked around, trying to find anyone that needed anything.

"We have one more song we'd like to play for you tonight." The crowd cheered as Spike took a drink out of a water bottle and tuned up his guitar a bit. "There's a special girl out there in the audience tonight that's been running through my head for the last couple of days. I'm not going to embarrass her by saying her name or anything, but, if she could just listen to this song, hear what it's saying... I would really love for her to hear it."

Buffy felt as if all eyes were on her as she stood in the middle of the floor, looking up at the stage with questioning eyes.

He looked over at her for a moment, eyes locking with hers again. "This one's for you."

He began to strum his guitar and Buffy noticed Oz and Bob give one another an 'I told you so' look as they began to play their parts along with him.

_You cannot quit me so quickly,_  
_There's no hope in you for me._  
_No corner you could squeeze me,_ _  
But I got all the time for you, love._

_The space between,  
The tears we cry,_  
_Is the laughter, keeps us coming back for more._ _  
The space between,_ _  
The wicked lies we tell,_ _  
And hope to keep safe from the pain._

_But will I hold you again?_ _  
These fickle, fuddled words confuse me,_  
_Like 'Will it rain today?'_ _  
Waste the hours with talking, talking,_ _  
These twisted games we're playing._

Buffy's breath caught in her throat as she listened to him sing.

_We're strange allies,  
With warring hearts._ _  
What wild-eyed beast you be?_ _  
The space between,_ _  
The wicked lies we tell,_ _  
And hope to keep safe from the pain._

_Will I hold you again?  
Will I hold..._

He suddenly jumped off of the stage and made his way over to her, singing the entire way.

_Look at us spinning out in,_ _  
The madness of a roller coaster._  
_You know you went off like a devil,_ _  
In a church in the middle of a crowded room._ _  
All we can do, my love,_  
_Is hope we don't take this ship down._

As he finally reached where she was standing, his voice was so full of raw emotion that she could barely stand it.

_The space between,_  
_Where you're smiling high,_  
_Is where you'll find me if I get to go._ _  
The space between,_ _  
The bullets in our firefight,_  
_Is where I'll be hiding, waiting for you._

_The rain that falls,_ _  
Splash in your heart,_ _  
Ran like sadness down the window into..._ _  
The space between,_ _  
Our wicked lies,_  
_Is where we hope to keep safe from pain._

He turned and walked back up to the stage, jumping back up and finishing off the song, eyes locked back on hers.

_Take my hand,_  
_'Cause we're walking out of here._  
_Oh, right out of here,_  
_Love is all we need here._

_The space between,  
What's wrong and right,_ _  
Is where you'll find me hiding,  
waiting for you._ _  
The space between,_ _  
Your heart and mine,_  
_Is the space we'll fill with time._

_The space between..._

As the song ended and the crowd let out their final round of applause, Spike was focused only on her, hoping that she had understood what he was trying to convey to her through the song. The last thing he was expecting was for her to run off and out the back door of the bar.

* * *

The cool night air was a blessing in disguise as Buffy rushed outside. She couldn't handle everyone's eyes being on her and she just needed to get out of there. She had heard the song on the radio before, but it had never been that intense. Then again, she had never had someone sing it directly to her, either. She leaned against the wall behind her and rested her head against the cool brick.

She turned when she heard the heavy metal door screech open and wasn't surprised to see Spike come rushing out of it. He looked around for her and almost missed her in the darkness that had overtaken the parking lot. She lifted her head and the two simultaneously walked toward one another. They stood face to face, silently, for a few moments, neither one knowing who was going to be the first to speak.

Spike sighed heavily. "Can we talk?" He asked.

Buffy didn't say anything, she simply nodded and let him lead her to his car.

* * *

**Reviews please? I'm going to try and start writing the next chapter now. I'm sick as a dog with nothing better to do, so you all will benefit from my suffering. I know, I'm a total martyr. ;)**

**Love & Lust,**

**-T.**

**P.S. I'd like to take a moment to thank not only my reviewers, who I love endlessly for their support and kind words, but also the people who even take the time to subscribe to alerts for this story. I believe there are quite a few of you out there joining me on the magnificent ride and words can not describe how excited and grateful that makes me. I love each and every one of you. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5.**

Buffy had given up trying to figure out where Spike was driving about five miles back. He was twisting and turning through the streets like he was some sort of homing pigeon on the way back to his owner. Buffy had no idea how he was so sure of where he was going with all of the streets looking so much the same to her, but then again, that was probably why Buffy didn't drive.

"Where are we going?" Buffy asked.

"Just an old place I used to hang out in, my old stomping ground." He said glancing over at her. "I think you'll like it."

Buffy didn't ask any more questions, she just let Spike drive them wherever his heart felt was right. She never would have expected him to turn in to an old dirt driveway and drive straight in to what seemed to her like nothing but woods. Scenes from slasher movies she had seen in the past popped in to her head briefly, but she shook them off when she realized how ridiculous the thought of Spike taking her somewhere to kill her would be after he had put on quite the show with her not even twenty minutes before.

Suddenly, the trees broke apart and Spike drove in to what Buffy could tell had once been a drive-in theater. The large screen was still standing, but was full of holes and streaked with colors ranging from white, to brown, to even a little bit of green. The grass had never seemed to full recover from so many cars driving over it and brown patches were littered all throughout the area.

Spike drove up to the screen and stopped only about ten feet away from it. He jumped out of the car and quickly made his way over to the passenger side, tearing the door open in the way only he knew how. He extended his hand out to her, relieved when she took it and let him help her from the car. He began walking through the dry grass and led her underneath the screen. She was a little bit confused until she saw the set of swings sitting behind it.

She smiled. "Swings?"

Spike nodded. "Swings."

He motioned toward one of the swing seats, meaning for her to take it. She did as he suggested and sat down, careful to not lose her balance as she sat lower than she thought she would have. Spike sat on the swing next to her and started to rock himself back and forth absentmindedly.

"You wanted to talk?" Buffy asked after a few moments of nothing.

"Give me a second," he said, "I'm not exactly sure how to say this."

"Well that doesn't sound reassuring at all." Buffy commented.

Spike let out a low chuckle. "Sorry, pet."

"It's okay." She said.

"No, I mean I'm sorry, sorry for everything." He said, leaning forward and lacing his fingers together as his elbows sat atop his knees.

Buffy's brows furrowed, unsure of what he meant. "What do you mean everything?"

"Just like I said, everything." He said nodding slowly to himself. "The argument earlier tonight, I didn't understand why it was such a big deal to you that we'd kissed."

"It seemed like it was a pretty big deal to you, too." Buffy said quietly.

"Well, it was." He said. "I was happy that it had happened, downright giddy if you want the honest truth." He said. "And now I'm here apologizing for it."

"Spike-"

"No, listen Buffy, please?" He said turning and looking her in the eyes. "I'm sorry for kissing you the other night, you'd been drinking and I knew that. I didn't know that you and alcohol related displays of affection had such a sordid past."

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked softly.

Spike sighed. "You didn't tell me what had happened between you and Angel."

Buffy felt her blood run cold and her heart drop to her feet as her eyes widened in panic. He couldn't possibly know. "What do you mean what happened with me and Angel?" She asked.

"Don't play games, Buffy, this is serious right now." He said, eyes pleading with hers to just let him say his piece. "Willow told me, she told me everything."

Buffy's jaw dropped in shock, her mouth attempting to form words that her mind just couldn't come up with. "Willow?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

She scoffed. "Wow, just wow. She had absolutely no right to tell you that. That's my business, she shouldn't be running around telling people things that I've trusted her with."

"Don't get upset with her," Spike said calmly, "she was only trying to help."

"Trying to help?" Buffy asked, getting up off of the swing and standing in front of him. "How could that be trying to help? She barely even knows you."

"Yeah? Well, neither do you." Spike said standing up, coming face to face with her again.

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. "I know you better than she does."

"Oh yeah?" He said. "What's my first name?"

Buffy raised her eyebrow, he did have a point. "Spike." She answered.

Spike rolled his eyes. "My real name."

Buffy looked around her for a moment, trying to find something to change the subject, as he stared at her expectantly. "I don't know." She said finally.

"See that, you don't even know my first name. It's William, by the way, and you didn't know that because the only person that calls me that is my mum when I'm in trouble and I hate it." He said quickly.

"Do you have a point?" She asked, clearly annoyed.

"You didn't even know my name and yet you're willing to punish me for the actions of some bloody git who screwed you over and threw you to the lions den." He said calmly. "I'm not Angel, and not every other guy. I'm William 'Spike' Pratt and I'm here to make you a promise."

"Yeah?" Buffy asked. "What promise is that?"

He took her gently by the shoulders and moved her to sit back down on the swing. She did as he was silently asking and was a bit thrown off when he knelt down in front of her.

"Willow and me," he said, "we talked. She told me what he did to you and she told me how terrified you are of it happening again. She said you needed proof that I'm serious, that I'm not just going to hurt you or use you." He took one of her small hands in to his and rested it gently on her lap. "And I swear to you, Buffy, I'm going to prove it to you. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday soon I'm going to take away all that fear and hurt, and I'm gonna be in it's place. I can't promise that we'll fall in love, or that we'll be together forever and have a bunch of little midgets running around that look just like us. Hell, I can't even promise that you'll want to keep me around for much more than a couple of days. What I can tell you is that I'm gonna try my hardest, though, pet. I want to be there through thick and thin, and all I'm asking is that you give me a chance. Give me a chance to prove to you that there are some good ones out there, let me prove to you that I'm one of them." He took a deep breath. "Can you do that for me?"

Not trusting her own voice and knowing that at any given second tears could fall from her eyes, she nodded. He leaned forward and pulled her body to his, hugging her tightly to him. He couldn't help the smile that dawned on his lips as he felt her arms slide around him, returning the embrace just as passionately as he was giving it.

* * *

When Buffy awoke the next morning she was half convinced that the night before had been a dream. She pulled her phone off of her nightstand and looked at the last text she had gotten the night before.

_Spike:_

_Sweet dreams, pet._

Yeah, last night really had happened.

She heard the bathroom door open and saw Willow peek her head out. "Morning." She said.

"Good morning, blabber mouth." Buffy greeted, eyebrow raised and a sly smile on her face.

"Spike told you about that, huh?" Willow asked, emerging from the bathroom and moving toward her dresser.

"You bet he did." Buffy said, uncovering herself and sitting on the edge of her bed.

"So, uh, how mad are you?" Willow asked.

Buffy sighed. "I'm not mad at you, Wills." Buffy said.

"You're not?"

"No," she said, "you were only doing what you thought was right, and this time it was."

"So are you guys okay now?" Willow asked.

Buffy nodded. "Yup, we're good."

"Good enough to maybe go and see a movie with Oz and me tonight?" She asked, nervously biting her lip between her teeth.

Buffy cocked her head to the side. "Willow, if this is one of your secretly-a-date-for-Buffy plans..."

"No, it's not! I promise!" Willow said quickly. "Oz called me after their show last night and asked me if I wanted to go out to dinner and a movie tonight."

"So why don't you go out on your date, just the two of you?" Buffy asked.

"Well, you know, first dates can be kind of awkward, I would just feel better if you were there. It would kind of take the pressure off a little bit." Willow explained.

Buffy eyed her friend, she could tell something was going on. "I don't know..."

"Oh, come on, Buffy, please!" Willow begged. "When you're around I just feel better about myself, you make the fun Willow come out, you're my better half!"

Buffy laughed. "Alright, fine, I'll go."

Their conversation was cut short when three loud bangs echoed from their door. Willow rushed back in to the bathroom and Buffy groaned. She stood up and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to smooth it out a little bit before facing whoever was at the door. Three more loud bangs rang throughout the room as Buffy made her way to the door.

"I'm coming!" She called, reaching for the doorknob. She was hardly prepared to deal with who was standing on the other side of the thick piece of wood, but she didn't really have a choice. "Angel?" She asked as she looked him over. His nose was bruised and he had a sling wrapped around his neck, supporting the arm that Spike had twisted the other night.

He let out a soft chuckle. "Nice outfit." He said.

Buffy looked down and realized she was wearing a pair of tight, black workout pants and a red tank top. "You don't look too hot yourself." She shot back. "What do you want?"

Without even asking for permission, Angel pushed his way in to the dorm room and began walking around, almost inspecting everything. "Have you seen the entertainment section of the paper today?" He asked, flicking Willow's swaying hula girl she had gotten on her family vacation to Hawaii with his good hand.

Buffy closed the door and put her hands on her hips, obviously not wanting her ex boyfriend there. "No, I haven't."

"Hmm," he said, "well lucky for you I happen to have a copy of it right here." He pulled a rolled up newspaper out of his sling and handed it over to her. "Do you recognize anyone on the first page?"

With a furrowed brow, Buffy unrolled the paper and was surprised to see a picture of her and Spike plastered across the page. It was from when he had sung to her the night before on the floor of the bar. He was standing mere inches from her face, looking down at her with an locked gaze as she looked back at him with one of her own. Under any other circumstances it would have been a wonderful shot.

She handed the paper back to Angel. "Yeah, he sang to me, so what?" She said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"See, that's what I thought at first, too, but the more I looked at it the more I felt like I'd seen this guy somewhere before. Then it hit me," he said snapping his fingers for effect, "this is the same bleached bastard that attacked me at The Shadow Gallery."

Buffy's heartbeat started to race, but she refused to let him notice it. "Okay?" Buffy said.

"Well, as you can see he did some pretty extensive damage with those cheap shots he threw, and someone has to pay for that." He said, taking a few steps closer to her.

"So what are you going to do, sue Spike Pratt?" Buffy asked sarcastically.

Angel smiled. "That's exactly what I'm going to do."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Angel, you can't be serious. It was a bar fight, get over it."

"It was not a bar fight, Buffy, that freak attacked me." Angel said, voice raising slightly.

"He didn't attack you." Buffy said, rolling her eyes.

"I have a broken nose and a dislocated shoulder, Buffy. I didn't lay a finger on him."

"Because you were too busy manhandling me." She said, somehow managing to keep her cool.

"You didn't mind it last year." Angel said, stopping Buffy in her tracks. She glared at him from across the room as a victorious smile appeared on his face. He walked over to the door, turning the knob and opening it calmly. "Tell lover boy we'll be in touch." With that he slammed the door and he was gone.

Willow opened the bathroom door slowly and saw Buffy standing across the room in shock. "Did you hear that?" Buffy asked her.

Willow nodded. "What are you going to do?"

"I've got to tell Spike." Buffy said moving toward her phone.

"You're going to tell him over the phone?" Willow asked.

Buffy shrugged. "Do you have a better idea?"

"I think if you're going to tell someone that your ex is going to sue them," Willow said, "it should probably be in person."

Buffy nodded. "You're right." She quickly typed in Spike's name and called his number. It rang quite a few times before he finally answered.

"'Ello?" His tired voice said through the receiver.

"Hey, Spike, it's me."

She heard him roll over on his bed and let out a soft cough. "Morning, luv." He said.

"Morning. Did I wake you?" She asked.

He chuckled. "It's only eight in the morning, pet, of course you woke me."

"I'm sorry." She said.

"Don't worry about it, are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She lied. "Um, I was just wondering if you'd have time to get breakfast of coffee or something with me this morning."

She heard the springs of his mattress as he moved again. "Yeah, sure, when are where?"

"How about the diner down the street from the bar?" She asked.

"I can do that. Give me about an hour?" He asked.

"Sure, see you soon."

"Can't wait."

Buffy hung up the phone and quickly went to take a shower and get ready. She pulled her hair in to a ponytail and put on a simple outfit of light blue jeans and black, long sleeved shirt. She slipped a pair of black flats on to her feet and rushed out of her room carrying her purse and a simple black jacket along with her.

* * *

Buffy had gotten to the diner first and sat in one of the front booths so that she could see when he came in. She wasn't sure exactly how she was going to bring up the entire Angel thing, but she was even more unsure of how Spike was going to react. If he hadn't hated him enough already after talking with Willow, this was sure to be the nail in the coffin.

Buffy noticed him before he had even opened the front door. His hair was a little wild, obviously from sleeping on it the night before, and he was wearing a dark pair of sunglasses, but other than that he was typical Spike. He had a black t-shirt on and dark blue jeans, all pulled together by a leather jacket.

He walked in to the diner and looked around, a crooked smirk appearing on his face as he found her. He pulled his sunglasses off, folding them up hanging them from his belt loop, and went to join her at the table.

"Hey, luv." He said pulling a menu out from behind the salt and pepper shakers. "You order yet?"

She shook her head. "Not yet, I was waiting for you."

Spike nodded as he looked over the menu quickly before folding it up and putting it back in its respectful place. As if on cue, the waitress appeared. She didn't seem interested in them whatsoever and Buffy knew Spike was relieved when she didn't seem to notice who he was. They ordered their breakfasts and the waitress scurried off without hesitation.

"Not that I'm complaining or anything," Spike said lacing his fingers together and resting his elbows on the table, "but why did you ask me to come here?"

"Well," Buffy said as she wiggled uncomfortably in her chair, "Angel stopped by this morning."

Spike clenched his jaw, a stone cold look on his face. "And?"

"And he showed me this." She pulled the copy of the entertainment section from where it had sat next to her and pushed it over to him.

He looked it over quickly and his lip twitched in a ghost of a smile as he took in the picture on the page. To say Buffy was simply beautiful was an understatement, even in the photo taken with horrible lighting and what could have been a very unflattering angle. He read the title of the article.

_Spike Pratt Serenades Mystery Woman at Surprise Show._

"He knows who you are now," she said quietly, "he's going to sue."

A sharp laugh escaped Spike's throat. "Sue?" He asked. "For what?"

"He said you attacked him." Buffy said, very nervous about what his reaction may be. The last thing she expected him to do was laugh. "This isn't funny, Spike."

"Yeah, luv, it really is." He said through his amusement. "Is that what had you upset enough to call me out here for?" She nodded. "Buff, stuff like this happens all the time. Do you know how many times random blokes have tried to say we've stolen a song from them or how many bar fights we've all allegedly gotten in to?"

"No." She said, feeling kind of stupid now that he had pointed that out.

"Trust me when I tell you it's quite a few." He said. "The record company will deal with it, they always do. Usually the lawsuits get dropped and every other time it's settled out of court. Wam bam thank you, ma'am."

Buffy didn't look too convinced. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, Buffy," he said, "you have nothing to worry about."

She nodded. "Okay."

They sat in silence for a few moments as their food was placed on the table. Buffy had gotten the french toast and Spike had gotten the breakfast platter complete with eggs, toast, bacon, and home fries. They each fixed up their food with butter and syrup and whatever else they wanted before beginning to eat. This had always been a secret favorite place for Buffy and some small part of her was happy to share that with Spike, even if he didn't realize the significance.

"So, you hear about that movie date tonight?" Spike asked.

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, it sounds like a set-up to me."

"I thought the same thing." Spike said, taking a bite of his bacon. "You're going though, yeah?"

Buffy nodded, mouth full of french toast. "Do you know what movie they want to see?"

"Not sure," he said, "but I heard rumors of dinner beforehand."

"Dinner and a movie," Buffy said nodding slightly, "classic."

"Hard to beat." He commented.

They each ate at a leisurely pace, but were soon finished with their meals. The waitress brought over the check before they had even realized it.

"It's on me, luv." He said pulling out his wallet.

Buffy shook her head. "I can pay my share." She said.

"Gentleman always pays." He said, throwing a twenty dollar bill on the table.

"No," Buffy said as she pushed the bill back at him, "this isn't a date and I have a job, there's no reason you should have to pay for my breakfast." She put a ten on the table and Spike unhappily did the same.

"I'm paying for dinner tonight, though." He said.

"We'll see about that." She said, standing from the table and beginning to make her way out.

Making sure her back was to him, Spike picked up the money from the table before throwing the original twenty back down on top of it. She never even noticed when he quickly slid her ten dollar bill back in to the pocket of her purse as he followed her out of the diner.

Once they were outside, Spike put his sunglasses back on and only then did it dawn on Buffy that this was his way of hiding in plain sight. She hadn't really thought about it until now, but being recognized everywhere you go every day of your life must have gotten annoying to him after a while. A gust of wind swept by as Buffy zipped up her jacket and stuffed her hands in to the shallow pockets.

"So what are you doing the rest of the day?" Buffy asked.

"Band meeting," he answered, "got to go over some details for the next leg of our tour. Venues and guest lists and whatnot."

Buffy nodded. "When are you guys leaving?"

"As of right now, December first." He said, pulling out a cigarette and lighting up. "The date changes a lot, though."

"That has to be crazy," she said, "never really knowing when you're going to be leaving or even where you're going."

"I wake up sometimes on tour and don't even know what state I'm in." He said taking a drag. "You get used to it, though. The bus becomes your home, your bands your family. You should see us for holiday dinners, it's quite the experience. You wouldn't know it, but Oz is a wonderful cook, his secret little talent."

Buffy laughed. "And what's your secret talent?" She asked.

"Other that being so good looking and drop dead sexy?" He asked, earning a sideways glance from the girl standing beside him. A sly grin spread across his face. "Guess you'll have to stick around to find out."

* * *

Buffy and Willow were sitting in their dorm getting ready for the dinner and movie plans they had made with Spike and Oz. Buffy had chosen to wear a deep blue silk top complete with thick black belt wrapped around her midsection. She was wearing a pair of black straight legged jeans tucked in to her favorite knee high boots. She had straightened her hair and had decided to go with a more natural looking makeup with just a hint of black eyeliner and mascara adorning her lashes.

Willow was wearing a sheer chiffon top decorated with a colorful floral design that complimented her red hair perfectly. She matched it with a tight pair of dark gray jeans and black flats to keep her from being taller than her date. She had done her hair in a sort of wavy style and had also decided to forgo wearing a lot of makeup.

It had been a running joke to them since their freshman year at Roth that their makeup for the day had always somehow managed to match.

Just as they were putting the finishing touches on their looks, Buffy's phone rang. Assuming it was Spike telling them that they were on their way, she answered it without even checking to see who it was. "Hello?"

"Do you mind telling me exactly what you think you are doing there?" Her father's angry voice answered her.

"Oh, my God, Dad," she said sitting down on the edge of her bed, "how are you?"

"Answer the question, Buffy." He said sternly.

Willow looked over at her from her spot at their shared vanity, concern coating her face.

"Um, I would if I knew what it was you were asking me about." She said, sounding like a little girl being scolded for taking the last cookie.

"Your mother and I let you go to college to get an education, not hook up with musicians."

Buffy's blood ran cold and her eyes widened. "How did you know about that?"

"Dawn was on her laptop in the living room and was looking at an article as I walked by. Imagine my surprise when I saw my oldest daughter on the screen staring at some punk." He said angrily.

"Yeah, about that..."

"We trusted you, Buffy. After everything you have put us through we trusted you to go to Roth and make good choices." He said.

"You don't even know him, Dad." She defended.

"He's a guy in a band and he's a lot older than you." He shot back. "I knew this would happen, as soon as you told us you got that job at some stupid bar."

"It's not some stupid bar, Dad, and the people there treat me great." She said.

"That's what you said when you started hanging out with the cool crowd in high school. Next thing we know you're sneaking out of the house and running around with all kinds of boys we didn't know."

"I was not running around with boys!" Buffy yelled back.

"I told your mother letting you go to Roth was a bad idea. I knew you'd end up getting lost and caught up in some type of bullshit, I just didn't think it would be this." He said.

"Dad, nothing has happened with us. He sang me a song and that's it. It was no big deal." She said.

"What else have you been doing, Buffy, huh? Drinking? Drugs? Are you pregnant yet?" He asked.

"Why are you being like that?" Buffy asked.

"All I ever wanted was for you to be successful and you seem hell bent on destroying that!"

"No!" Buffy yelled. "You wanted me to graduate high school, get a full time job, marry some rich doctor or lawyer or something and be a perfect little housewife just like Mom!"

"That's what you should be doing!"

"So you're saying I made a bad decision by furthering my education and going to college?" Buffy asked.

"Who are you kidding, Buffy? You'll never make it through there. How many classes have you dropped the past two years?" Buffy didn't say anything. It was true she had dropped two classes the year before, but with everything that had happened with her it was understandable. "Why don't you just come home, Buff? Give up on this silly dream you have in your head and just come home." He asked, now calm and serious.

"No." She said, voice faltering as the sting of his words set in. "I want to make someone of myself, I can do it, I know I can."

She heard him sigh heavily through the phone. "You always were a disappointment." Without another word, the line went dead and Buffy was left staring blankly at the wall in front of her. She hardly even registered Willow come and sit down next to her until she put a small, unsure hand on her shoulder.

"Buffy," she said quietly, "what happened?"

"I want," she whispered standing up and walking over to the door, "I want to be alone." She opened the door to their dorm and walked briskly and almost blindly through the hallway, hardly seeing anything through the unshed tears threatening to fall.

Willow nearly sprinted to the door after Buffy ans was surprised to see her practically running through the hallway. She heard the door to the stairway open and turned her head quickly in that direction. She silently mused over how Spike and Oz had the absolute worst timing before calling down the hall to her friend.

At the sound of her name being called, Spike looked down the hallway and saw the back of the retreating girl. Without a word he took off after her, leaving Oz and Willow to watch after him in surprise, neither really knowing what to do.

* * *

Spike followed Buffy down the hallway and finally reached her at the door to a stairway at the other end. He put a hand on her shoulder and was shocked when she turned around with tears running down her face. He had seen this girl go through a run in with an abusive ex and she had not shed a single tear, even as he pushed her to the floor, yet here she was with enough of them falling from those beautiful eyes to fill a small glass.

"What happened?" He asked, searching her red eyes for some sort of an answer. "Was it Angel? I swear if that bloody ponce-"

"It wasn't Angel." She said quietly.

He licked his lips, noticing that his mouth had suddenly become very dry. "What is it, luv, tell me what happened."

She glanced around the hallway, noticing that a lot of the girls were starting to emerge from their rooms for dates and other social occasions. "Not here." She said, taking him gently by the hand and pulling him in to the stairway. She led them down the floor below and exited the stairway before quickly pulling him through another hallway and pushing herself through a set of large glass doors leading to a large cement balcony. There were multiple sets of tables and chairs scattered all around and Buffy quickly walked over to the only one not bathed in the light of the outdoor lamp that resided there.

"Why are we out here, pet?" Spike asked.

"Those girls," Buffy said as she stole a quick glance at the glass doors behind them, "if they catch the smallest bit of drama, they will blow it up to this huge thing and all of a sudden it's all over campus."

Spike nodded, understanding completely the viciousness that was a large group of females. "Now what happened, what's got you so upset?"

She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before diving right in to it. "My Dad just called me, he saw the picture of us from the bar and he wasn't too happy. He jumped to conclusions and was really laying in to me about it."

Spike ran a hand through his platinum hair. "Oh, God, Buffy, I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "It's not your fault. He's always been kind of crazy about my sister and me." She explained. "He brought up a bunch of stuff from when I was younger and threw it all in my face. My Dad, he's really old fashioned. After high school he wanted me to go straight in to working, meet a nice, successful guy, get married and pop out a bunch of kids."

"He wasn't too happy when you decided to come to school, I take it?"

"Not at all." Buffy said. "And then he told me that I'm never going to make it through school, that this is just some silly dream I have and that I'm not cut out for it." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, willing the tears not to start up again, but it was to no avail. Before she even realized it they were falling slowly from her eyes. She looked up at Spike and her face nearly broke his heart. "He told me I was a disappointment."

He wrapped his arms around her tightly and pulled her close to him, slowly moving his fingers through her hair in a calming way. "How anyone could see you as a disappointment is beyond me." He whispered. "You're smart, you're strong, and forgive me for saying so, but devastatingly beautiful and any man would be lucky to have you in their life in any way."

Buffy let out a small, bitter laugh. "You hardly know me, Spike."

"Which is exactly how I know it's true. All that damage you have to you, nobody would ever know it because of how you've coped with it. You've gone through a lot that I know about, and I'm sure a lot more that I don't, but you don't let your past define who you are. You're a fighter, a survivor, Buff." He said, placing a light kiss on the top of her head.

"I don't deserve this." She whispered.

"You're right, you don't." He agreed.

"No," she said pulling away from him, "I mean I don't deserve you."

Spike laughed. "How do you figure?"

"Look at everything I've put you through in the short time I've known you." She said. "First night, I basically call you a man whore and don't even give you the time of day. Next night, you get in a fight because of me. We kiss and I turn in to scary Buffy, and now I'm throwing all this daddy-issues baggage at you."

"What did I tell you last night?" He asked. "I told you I wanted to be here, thick and thin, remember? We all have our baggage to carry, skeletons in our closets, yours just decided to come out of hiding all at one time. Better that way, I figure, get it all done and over with." Buffy smiled, one last tear making its way down her face. He gently wiped it away with his thumb before letting his hand rest against her cheek. "No more tears, luv, they're not worth it."

Before Buffy could say anything, Spike's phone went off from inside his pocket. He pulled it out and quickly checked to see who was ruining this moment for him.

"Who is it?" Buffy asked.

"Oz," he answered, "wants to know if we're still on." He looked up at her, hope shining in those baby blue orbs. "Your call, pet."

Buffy thought for a second. "Tell them to go ahead, I'm not really feeling up to it tonight." She saw the look of disappointment cross his face as he typed a quick reply to his friend and band mate before shoving his phone back in to his pocket. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head, looking back up at her. "Don't be." He gazed in to her eyes for a moment longer and had to resist the urge to kiss the girl again, she was just too damn perfect.

"Um, hello?" An annoyed voice said from the glass doorway. Spike and Buffy turned around and saw Harmony standing there, struggling to see them in the dim light. "We have to lock these doors so can you, like, come inside and do whatever your doing?" Buffy rolled her eyes as the girl made her way over to where they were sitting, lighting her way with her cell phone. "You and your boyfriend shouldn't be- woah oh my God. You are not who I think you are."

Spike groaned. "Can we have a minute?"

Harmony looked back and forth between the two of them. "Are you Spike Pratt?" She asked. He didn't answer, he just kept glaring at the intruding girl. "And you're here with her?"

Buffy didn't even let the comment phase her, Harmony was as bitchy as they came and she had learned a long time ago not to take the girl seriously. "Tell you what," Spike said in the same voice someone would talk to a five year old with, "you go get your Passions CD and I'll sign it for you."

Harmony's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Okay." She said, twisting a piece of her hair on her finger and walking back inside the dorm building quickly and awkwardly on her too high heels.

The second the door closed Spike looked to Buffy. "Come on, let's get out of here before she gets back." Without a moments hesitation, the two rushed through the doors and made sure to go in the opposite direction of the bubbly blonde.

* * *

After escaping the monster that was Harmony Kendall, Spike walked Buffy back to her dorm. She was happy to see that Willow had left it unlocked and the two quickly slid inside. With the door closed, Spike sighed in relief from escaping the close encounter.

"She is going to be so pissed." Buffy said with a laugh.

Spike shrugged. "She'll get over it."

Buffy smiled, giving him a curious look. "Do you want to stay?" She asked.

Spike was shocked, this was honestly the last thing he had expected her to ask, especially after the type of day the poor girl had been having. "Um, yeah," he stammered, "I'd love to."

Buffy smiled. "Let's watch a movie."

Spike smiled, a genuine smile that lit up his eyes and made him look like a delighted little boy. "Saturday night, gotta be something decent on, yeah?"

Buffy nodded. "I'll go get some popcorn."

As she made her way out in to the hallway, the unmistakeable sound of Harmony's heels filled the halls as she made her way toward the commons area. She had just gotten to the vending machine when the girl caught up to her. "Um, where is Spike Pratt?" She asked.

"Oh," Buffy said, "about that. He, uh, he left."

Harmony raised an eyebrow. "He left?"

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, some sort of band meeting, really important. He said he'd get to you next time he comes around, even said he'd take a picture with you to make it up to you."

Harmony jerked her head to the side in an annoyed way. Without another word she turned and stormed off, mumbling something about 'stupid natural blondes' the entire way.

She microwaved the popcorn and quickly made her way back in to her dorm. Spike was standing at the edge of her bed, remote in hand as he looked at the television screen. "Find anything?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah," he said putting the remote down on the dresser, "the original Scream movie. You okay with horror?"

Buffy nodded as she walked over to the bed. "Yeah, that's fine." He eyed her curiously as she sat at the top of the bed against her plethora of pillows. He looked around quickly, looking for some sort of a chair or something. "Spike," Buffy said, "you can sit with me."

Spike looked at her, eyebrow raised in an almost nervous way. "You sure?" Buffy nodded and that was all the reassurance he needed as her climbed up the bed and sat next next to her, arms folded across his chest.

Buffy reached over and pulled the string on her bedside lamp, turning the light off. Spike glanced at her curiously. "Can't watch a slasher movie with the lights on."

He grinned. "Girl after my own heart."

As the commercials ended and the movie came back on, the two fell in to a comfortable silence. They shared the popcorn and eventually Spike ventured out to grab them a couple of drinks, praying to high heavens that he wouldn't run in to Harmony. His prayers were answered when he returned to the room unscathed and undetected, but he thanked a higher power even more when he reached across the back of Buffy's pillows and she let his arm wrap around her small shoulders without a moments hesitation. He could have sang the holy gospel when she turned in to him, resting her head on his chest as an arm wrapped around his waist.

If this wasn't heaven, he didn't know was.

* * *

Oz and Willow stared at the couple on the bed, heads tilted to the side, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. The two were sound asleep, cuddled up close together on top of the covers, content as could be.

Oz looked over at Willow, amusement clear in his eyes. "Didn't see that one coming."

* * *

**Holy crap, this story has completely taken over my life. All I want to do all the time is write this silly thing and I'm so happy that you all are enjoying it. **

**Side Note: My absolute favorite band (My Chemical Romance) is doing a wonderful thing by re-recording a song from their newest album (SING from Danger Days) with oriental orchestration and donating so much of their time and money to help with relief efforts in Japan. If you haven't visited SINGitforJapan . Com , I full recommend it. They took an amazing song and put it to work for an awesome cause. Please keep in mind that this is not me asking you to donate whatsoever, I just think they did an amazing job with the song and it was such a wonderfully sweet gesture on their part. This just completely explains why I love these guys.**

**Anyway, reviews please, this is the start of something great. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Fluffy Spuffy time? Fluffy Spuffy time. I've put these two through a lot and I think we can all agree that they deserve a little bit of happy time together. This is for everyone who reads, reviews, or favorites, especially my little zombie reader and my wonderful "internet friend". You two know who you are. :)**

**Also, just a funny little tidbit, I used a band name generator to come up with the opening band name for Flesh of the Passions, one of the suggestions was "Glory Boner". I about died.**

**The song in this chapter is Leave the Lights On by Supernova. It's a pretty good song and again, I fully recommend playing it on youtube or Itunes when it is written in to the chapter. Hopefully it'll make you feel the same way I did when I wrote it.**

**Chapter 6.**

Buffy rushed from her classroom in a near sprint as she made her way back toward her dorm. Class had run late that day and she was due to be at work in less than an hour. She stormed through he door and made quick work of changing from her jeans and hoodie in to a tight purple halter top tunic and black leggings. She pulled one of her boots on as she hopped around on the other foot, looking at the clock and wishing it would slow down just this once. She pulled on her other boot as she walked toward her door, a true feat for any girl clad in leather heels. She ran toward the bus stop and got there just in time to see the large white and blue vehicle drive away, leaving her behind.

"Shit!" She said in a harsh whisper, not quite sure of what to do now. She didn't have money for a cab and Xander would already be at work by now. She pulled out her phone and dialed the only other person she could even think of calling.

"Well, hello there, pet." he answered.

"Hey," she said as she ran a hand through her hair, "um, are you busy?"

"Not at all," he said, "what's up?"

"I actually kind of need a favor." She answered.

"Go on."

"Well, my class ran late and I missed the bus and I'm kind of due at work in about forty minutes and the next bus won't be here for another hour." She explained. "Would you mind giving me a ride?"

Spike laughed. "You missed the bus? What is this, middle school?"

"You would pick up on the most unimportant part of the story." Buffy commented, ignoring his ridiculous question.

He laughed again. "Of course I can come and get you, was actually heading there for practice myself."

It was Buffy's turn to laugh. "Of course you were."

"Where are you? At your dorm?"

"The bus stop, it's right by the front gate. You can't miss it." She said.

"Be there in ten." He said.

"Thank you." With that she hung up the phone and took a seat on the bench behind her.

It had been a week since the phone call from home, and everything since then had been fantastic. Buffy and Spike were getting along great and even though he still hadn't managed to take her out on an actual date, he knew it was only a matter of time before his dream girl was his. They had been seeing quite a bit of one another, mainly at The Shadow Gallery while either she was working or he was practicing with his band, but they had tagged along with Willow and Oz on a random lunch or two. All in all, things were going great.

She thought back to the night that she and Spike had fallen asleep together watching that movie and couldn't help the smile from forming on her face. Oz had woken him up like a mother would a small child and after he got over the initial embarrassment of it all, she could tell he had loved the time they had spent together that night, and she knew that she had, too. It seemed as if things were finally falling in to place with the two of them.

She heard the loud, deep buzzing of a motor coming toward her and when she realized what was going on, her breath caught in her throat. The shiny black and silver metal of the motorcycle coming her way shone in sun like a beacon of light. Spike wasn't wearing a helmet, no surprise there, and his dark sunglasses were back in place on his godlike face. When she had asked for a ride, this was the last thing she had expected.

"Come on, luv," Spike said from atop the shiny black motorcycle, "can't have you late for work now can we?"

Buffy raised an eyebrow, a look of shock on her face. "You want me to get on _that?" _

"Well, yeah," Spike said with a smirk, "problem?"

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. "I've never been on one before."

Spike's smirk turned in to a genuine smile as her words reached his ears. He killed the engine and put down the kickstand before walking over to her, extending his hand for her to take. "Come on, then, I'll show you how."

Buffy glanced back and forth between him and the bike, he could tell she was nervous and it was incredibly cute. "I don't know." She said.

"What are you gonna do, walk to work?" He asked.

"No," she said, "I just don't want to-"

"I've been driving this thing since I was nineteen, never had an accident." He said, taking off his sunglasses so to meet her eyes. "I wouldn't let you do it if I thought you'd get hurt, Buff."

She gazed in to his eyes for a long moment, letting his words sink in and seeing if she trusted them. Slowly, she began to nod her head. "Okay." She put her hand in his and let him lead her over to the bike.

"I'm gonna get back on so I can keep the bike steady for you," he said as he walked toward the rear of the bike. "Just make sure that when you get on, you put your feet here," he pointed to a metal peg sticking from the side of the bike, "and here." He pointed to the other one.

Buffy nodded and Spike mounted the bike again, kicking back the kickstand and holding the bike up with his legs. Buffy climbed on carefully and put her feet where she was instructed. "There."

"Now I need you to wrap your arms around me like this," he said as he gently moved her slender arms around his waist, interlocking her hands together when they met, "okay?"

Buffy nodded, hoping he didn't see the shy smile on her face. "Okay."

He grinned cockily, starting the bike up again. "Hold on tight."

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Riding on a motorcycle was one of the things Buffy had never thought she would do, but she had to admit, it was incredibly liberating. The wind rushed through her hair as the vibration of the bike rattled her small body, leaving her with an all over tingly feeling. Being able to hold on to Spike, feeling the way his muscles moved under his shirt, really put the icing on the cake. He pulled in to the parking lot at the back of the bar and killed the engine before turning his body around and taking Buffy's hand as she climbed off of the back, helping her keep her balance the entire time.

"Thanks." She said, running her hands over her head in an attempt to tame her now unruly hair.

Spike couldn't help but look her over, all windblown and clothing moved just slightly out of place by the friction that had formed between them during their ride. She truly was a sight no matter how disheveled she was, he had to keep his mind from wandering to the things he could do to make her look like that. She was beautiful, from her head to toes, and for every inch he got with her, he longed for a mile.

Sensing his gaze, Buffy looked over at him, the ghost of a smile he had on his face as he appraised her making her blush in just the slightest way. "What?" She asked.

He tilted his head to the side, smile becoming just a bit more noticeable now. "Just thinking about how much I'd love to take you out, spoil you beyond your wildest dreams."

Buffy smiled, shyly tucking some hair behind her ear before crossing her arms over her chest. "We go out all the time." She said.

"Yeah, with Oz and Willow." He said, voice soft as he stepped off of the bike and stood before her. He lifted his hand and moved a stray piece of hair back to its rightful place on the other side of her part. "When are you gonna let me take you out on a real date, just the two of us? Go out to a nice dinner, maybe catch a show or something, take you out for a night on the town the way you deserve?" He let his hand gently slide down the side of her head, ghosting along her hair before grazing her cheek. He hooked his hand under her chin and lifted it slightly, moving her eyes to meet his. "I've wanted to for a long time."

"I know," she said quietly, basking in the gaze of adoration he was showering her in, "I want that, too."

"Then let's do it," he said, "you and me, tomorrow night."

"There's this bonfire," she started, "it's tomorrow night at the beach about twenty minutes from campus. They do it at the end of every semester and Willow really wants to go. She's already got Oz locked in, I was actually going to invite you tonight when I saw you."

Spike sighed. "You two really want to go?"

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, it's kind of a tradition."

"Then we'll go," he said, "but on one condition." Buffy looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to name his terms. "You keep that Harmony girl far, far away from me."

Buffy's laugh was out of her mouth before she had even realized it. "Are you afraid of her or something?"

"Damn right, I am!" He yelled, obviously joking at this point. "Who wouldn't be afraid of Boob job McGee complete with bleached hair and horse teeth?"

Buffy laughed as she turned to walk toward the back door of the bar. "You have room to talk, Captain Peroxide."

"Hey, hey, hey," he said rushing to catch up with her, "my hair is taken care of and done right by professionals. Her's is definitely a boxed kit."

"Oh, are we the expert on hair care now?" Buffy asked, thoroughly enjoying their bit of playful banter.

"As a matter of fact, yeah, got a plaque and everything. Come by my suite sometime and I'll show it to you." He said as he opened the door for her and stepped to the side, holding it for her the way a true gentleman would. She smiled at him as she passed and could practically feel his eyes on her as she walked in front of him.

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Spike strummed his guitar absentmindedly, playing a chord from the song he had been working on in his suite the night before. He hummed along with it, smiling as a set of lyrics popped in to his head. He pulled the pen out from behind his ear, it's temporary home during every practice, and wrote it down in his notebook to make sure he wouldn't forget it later.

Anya and Giles were sitting at one of the tables on the floor, looking over paperwork and completely absorbed in their work. Oz and Bob were over by the drum set, talking about something that probably had nothing to do with anything but getting increasingly more engrossed in their conversation. Buffy was behind the bar with Xander, helping him get ready for the night ahead and talking to him quietly.

"How's that new song coming?" Oz asked, strolling over with his bass in hand.

"Good." Spike answered, playing a couple of chords on his guitar before looking back at his friend. "Think you can come up with a bass line to go with that?"

"Play it again." Oz said. Spike began to play again as Oz listened intently, it only took him a few seconds before he started playing his bass in a way that complimented Spike's guitar perfectly. "How's that?"

Spike nodded. The unmistakable sound of glass crashing to the floor and breaking rang out through the bar. Everyone glanced over at bar and saw Buffy standing behind Xander, hands held up in a surrendering motion. "Sorry," she called over to them, "dropped a glass."

Everyone went back to what they had been doing, everyone except for Spike who couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her. He wasn't surprised when she glanced over at him, her nervous habit of tucking her hair behind her ear rearing its adorable little head when she caught him staring. She turned slowly, obviously attempting to hide the smile growing on her face, and failing miserably.

"You two seem to be getting along much better now." Oz said.

"Yeah." Spike said, tearing his eyes off of the girl and back to Oz. "You hear about that bonfire tomorrow night?"

"Yeah, Willow mentioned it," Oz said, "you guys going?"

"Yeah, she said it was some sort of tradition," he paused, choosing his next words carefully, "still hasn't let me take her on a date yet, though."

"She's just nervous." Oz said.

"Why would she be nervous?" Spike asked. "We've gone out before."

Oz shrugged. "You know how girls are, first solo dates are a big deal for them. Me and Willow were just lucky and got forced in to ours when Buffy got that phone call from her dad."

"Bloody pillock, he is." Spike commented. "All the blokes in her life seem to be."

"Other than you, right?"

"Well, yeah." He said as if it were obvious.

"Well if all the dudes in her life have been _bloody pillocks,_" Oz mimicked Spike's accent, "then you can understand why she would be nervous about it." Spike nodded, understanding his words but annoyed with their truth nonetheless. "It'll happen soon, though, that steely resolve of hers is definitely cracking."

Spike looked over at him, skeptical look on his face. "How so?"

Oz shrugged. "Just the way that she looks at you, you know, when she thinks no one else is watching. It's different now, more interested and less... hateful?" He said, at a complete loss for a better word.

"Can you guys come down here for a minute?" Anya called from the table.

Oz slapped a hand on Spike's shoulder. "Keep your head up, it won't be long now."

The guys headed off of the stage and over to their manager and his apprentice. They each pulled up a chair and sat down around them. Spike glanced over toward the bar again and saw Buffy and Xander sitting on the stools, their work apparently done for now, taking a deserved break while the boss was out doing whatever it was that Clem did when he wasn't there.

"We've talked to a couple more venues and promoters," Giles said, effectively pulling Spike in to business mode, "we've now managed to get you an eleven week tour, playing a show every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday night."

"When are we leaving?" Oz asked.

"We'll be leaving on December 1 and your first show will be in New York the next day." Anya answered.

"We gonna have off for the holidays?" Spike asked.

"Yeah, do we get breaks?" Bob asked.

"You'll have a break from December 23 to January 2 so you can spend the holidays with your family, friends, and anyone else you may want to see." Giles explained. "You'll be coming home February 17, and playing here as a homecoming show. After that you guys are free until March 19, that's when you'll be going to the UK with the same schedule until April 20." Anya explained.

"Who's opening?" Spike asked.

"Glory Wire." Anya answered, all three of the men groaned. "What's wrong?"

"That Glory girl." Bob said.

"What?" Anya asked.

"She's a little diva, that's what." Spike answered.

"I heard when she went on Conan, she refused to come out of the dressing room because they didn't have a red carpet for her to walk on, said the hard floor would make her feet click and she would screw up the interview." Oz said.

"Yeah," Spike said, "and that crazy bint refused to play one night because her horoscope said to stay out of the public eye."

"It's only for one tour," Giles said, "I'm sure you can all play nice for one tour."

"You've never met the girl." Spike said, shaking his head as if to break up any memories that were forming.

"From now until we leave," Giles said, raising his voice in a way that showed he was clearly changing the subject, "we'll need to continue having practice every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to get you guys ready and decide on a set list."

"I'm not practicing every Friday." Bob said immediately.

"Yeah," Oz agreed, "some of us have things to do, right Spike?"

Spike glanced over at Buffy then. "Yeah," he said, "no Friday practice."

"Alright, fine, we'll waive the Friday practice," Anya said, glancing at Giles and not missing the shocked look he gave her, "but we'll have to add an extra hour to Monday's and Wednesday's practices to make up for it."

"Agreed." Giles said, impressed by his apprentice's bargaining.

"Alright," Oz said, "we can do that, right guys?"

"I'm game." Bob said as Spike nodded.

Anya smiled. "Good, we'll be printing out your detailed itineraries and giving them to you next week. Meeting adjourned."

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Working in a bar could be very unpredictable sometimes, well, most of the time actually. Last Wednesday had been incredibly busy, but today there were a grand total of four people sitting around the bar, not including the staff, the band, and Willow who had randomly decided to stop in and say hello to everyone. Cordelia had come in for her scheduled shift at seven only to find everyone sitting at the bar, talking seriously about something.

Spike sat on the last stool at the bar, sitting next to where Buffy was standing against it and trying to pay attention to her one patron and the conversation at the same time. Xander was behind the bar, leaning against the back wall, arms crossed over his chest and one ankle crossed over the other. Oz was sitting next to Spike with Willow on his other side, the two holding hands did not go by unnoticed by Cordelia. Bob was sitting on Willow's other side, nursing a drink while he talked to Faith who was sitting on top of the bar Indian style.

"What's going on?" Cordelia asked, walking around the bar as she tied her apron.

"Talking about throwing Clem a surprise party." Buffy answered.

"Right, his birthday's on Monday, isn't it?" Cordelia asked.

"Yeah, and the bar just so happens to be closed that day so I can do inventory." Xander said.

"If Clem wanted off for his birthday, why didn't he just say he was taking off? He's the owner, he can do that, yeah?" Spike asked.

"That's Clem for ya," Faith said, "won't do anything special for himself but everything for everyone else."

"Which is exactly why we should throw this party." Anya said, agreeing wholeheartedly with any reason to throw a party.

"He has done quite a lot for us." Giles said from his spot at a table just next to the bar.

"He'd want it to be small, though," Buffy said, "you know how he gets nervous when there's too many people around him."

"Strange little career choice for him then." Spike commented.

"I'm the only other family he has here." Xander said.

"It could just be all of us," Cordelia said, "we're kind of like a family here anyway."

Buffy and Faith nodded in agreement, this place had been like their home away from home for the past couple of years.

"I can come in and decorate after two." Anya said.

"I'll help," Xander offered, "I'll already be here for inventory anyway."

"Willow and I can get here after class." Buffy said. "If Spike and Oz want to pick us up, we could get here as early as five."

"We can do that." Oz said.

"Yeah, no problem." Spike agreed, glancing at Buffy and noticing her glancing back at him. The two of them did the awkward 'I was definitely not just looking at you' thing and turned their faces back to the rest of the group.

"Then it's settled," Cordelia said, "we'll all meet here at five on Monday and throw Clem a party."

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Spike, Buffy, Oz, and Willow showed up at the bonfire at around seven and were surprised to see that they were probably one of the last few people to show up. The fire was burning bright against the darkened night sky and they all walked with a bit of difficulty on the sand. The smells of the fire and the sea water mixed together in a way that couldn't be compared to anything else. They were about fifty yards from the actual water, but Buffy swore she could still here the crashing of the waves over the DJ on the opposite side of the fire. There were tons of people there, probably close to the entire student body, and everyone was drinking, dancing, and having a genuinely good time. Buffy noticed Harmony and her group of followers immediately and made a mental note of where not to go.

"Let's go get some drinks." Willow said, grabbing both Buffy and Oz by the hands and leading them toward the collection of coolers by the DJ. She grabbed a couple of wine coolers for herself and Buffy as Spike found the cooler housing the beer and tossed one to Oz before cracking one open himself.

"No hard stuff for Buffy tonight," Oz said jokingly, "we all know how that ended up last time."

"Oz." Willow said, a worried expression on her face as she glanced between him and her best friend.

Everyone was kind of surprised when Buffy laughed. "Yeah, me and strong drinks are sort of on bad terms sometimes. Sticking with these little babies tonight."

Spike put an arm around her shoulders. "It's alright, luv," he said giving it a quick squeeze, "happens to the best of us."

She looked up at him with a smile, he returned her gaze and gave her a small smile of his own. In all honesty, she did feel bad about her reaction now and Spike had been nothing but a perfect gentleman since then. She realized that she had probably scared him a little bit, maybe even a lot a bit, but he stuck around and that had to say something about how he felt about her.

A new song started and when they realized what it was, Willow laughed as the guys scoffed.

"Everywhere we go." Oz said. Buffy listened for a second, not quite recognizing the song yet.

"It's bloody following us, I'm telling you, damn curse this song is." Spike said, taking a swig of his beer.

_Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah!_

Buffy immediately recognized Spike's voice coming through the speakers.

"It's not even a good song." Oz said.

"Could kill Giles for making us release it as a single." Spike said.

"Isn't this song about making a porno?" Willow asked.

_Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah!_

Spike nodded. "I didn't even write it. Bought it off some guy in Vegas."

_I'd like to say for the record that I like how you walk,  
And how the all other girls shut their mouths when you talk.  
Your body's so black and your mind is too,  
I want to make a good connection when I plug into you._

The girls were both equally surprised when Spike started singing the chorus and Oz pretending to play an invisible bass. They were overdoing every motion, dramatically closing their eyes, Spike was using a ridiculously deep voice, they were completely mocking their own song and performances.

_So come on and leave the lights on if that's your thing,_  
_It's better for the cameras if you know what I mean._  
_So come on and leave the lights on if you want to see it all,_  
_Cuz everything else in the room is gonna be off._

_I want to feel like a kingdom when I come into you,_  
_I want to kneel at the alter your body dances to._  
_I need to speak three languages all just to prove,_  
_That I am duh duh dee duh duh,_  
_I love the way that you move._

"Wait," Buffy said, "what did you say there?"

_So come on and leave the lights on if that's your thing,_

"Not exactly, sure." Spike said quickly before continuing his 'singing'.

_It's better for the cameras if you know what I mean._

"Can't remember the line." He finished.

_So come on and leave the lights on if you want to see it all,  
Cuz everything else in the room is gonna be off._

"Ever wonder why us singers let the crowd sing some of the lines back to us?" He asked.

Buffy had never even thought of that before. The guys danced to the instrumental break and the entire situation was probably the funniest thing she had ever seen. She loved that they didn't take themselves too seriously, they weren't the big headed celebrities they no doubt could have been and it was relief to both herself and to Willow.

_I want a dirty little girl with the wife beater on,_  
_With the straps fallin off of her shoulders._

_So come on and leave the lights on if that's your thing,_  
_It's better for the cameras if you know what I mean._  
_So come on and leave the lights on if you want to see it all,_  
_Cuz everything else in the room is gonna be off._

Buffy and Willow clapped and laughed as the song ended and the guys went straight back in to normal mode.

"What are you two laughing at?" Spike asked.

"Yeah," Oz said, "that's the way we do it."

Buffy shook her head as Spike's arm found its way back around her shoulders, things didn't get much better than this.

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About and hour had gone by and everyone was having a great time. It had been Spike's turn to go and fetch the next round of drinks for the group and as he walked over to the tribe of coolers and kegs, he let his mind wander over everything that had happened so far that night. He didn't want to admit it, but this entire bonfire thing had actually been a pretty good idea. Buffy hadn't left his side the entire night and she had no objections when he would casually drape his arm around her shoulders or hold her hand while leading her through a crowd of people. He had even managed to get her to dance during a slow song or two.

Spike grabbed two wine coolers and a beer for both him and Oz before returning to the group just as a song he wasn't particularly fond of filled the air. He handed the wine cooler to Willow and tossed the beer to Oz before walking up behind Buffy, wrapping his arms around her waist. He smiled as she didn't pull away or turn in his arms, but leaned back and let her body rest against his chest. He dipped his head down and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Take a walk with me?" He asked, whispering in her ear.

He felt her head turn slightly, their eyes locking as she looked over at him. She nodded and Spike promptly straightened himself up. He handed her the wine cooler and switched his beer to the other hand so that he could lace his fingers with the ones on her free hand.

"We're gonna go take a walk." Spike called over to Willow and Oz. Willow smiled brightly as Oz winked at them, earning a happy grin from Spike and a small blush from Buffy as he turned and began heading toward the beach.

The moon was shining brightly and the further they got from the loud music and huge fire, the more intimate their situation became. Buffy insisted on walking right next to the water, taking off her socks and shoes before rolling her pants legs up so the water could gently caress her bare feet and legs. It didn't take long for her to convince Spike to do the same, he couldn't resist her no matter how hard he tried. After walking for a few minutes, they found a vacant lifeguard stand and decided it would be as good a place as any to sit, they couldn't just walk along the beach all night no matter how much they wanted to.

"Ladies first." Spike said, stepping to the side of the ladder and holding her hand as she stepped up on the first few wooden planks. He quickly followed her up, sitting next to her in the large wooden seat. A gust of wind went by and he felt her shiver slightly next to him. "Cold?"

She shrugged. "Maybe just a little bit."

He laughed, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her in closer, leaving no space between the two of them. "Told you to bring a jacket, luv."

She tilted her head, letting it rest on her shoulder. "Didn't want to carry it around."

"Running around in the water probably wasn't the best decision either." He said, motioning toward her still naked feet.

"You can't walk on the beach and not do that." She said seriously.

He chuckled as they both looked out at the ocean before them, listening to waves crashing gently against the sand. The moon seemed bigger here, almost like you could just reach out and grab it. There was a slight breeze floating through the otherwise decent night air, Spike wasn't sure if this night could get any better.

"This is really nice." Buffy said quietly.

"It is." He said, resting his head on top of hers and closing his eyes.

"I was wrong about you, you know." She said.

"Yeah?" He asked. "How's that?"

"You're not like every other guy, there's something about you, it's different." She explained.

"In a good way, I hope." He said.

"In a very good way." She said, lifting her head and turning to face him. "I really like you, Spike, a lot."

He didn't say anything for a long moment as he just took in the beautiful sight before him, taking a snapshot of the moment in his mind. Her eyes looked warm in the moonlight as her hair blew ever so slightly in the gentle breeze. Her skin was warm against his and he could feel her heart racing as he held her close.

She laughed nervously, worried by his lack of a response. "What are you thinking?" She asked.

He kept his eyes trained on her face, moving from her eyes to her lips and then back again. "If I kiss you right now," he finally whispered, "are you going to regret it in the morning?"

Buffy's eyes glistened like a diamond in the sky as she gazed in to his icy blues. "No."

He hooked his arm around her neck, slowly and gently pulled her face closer to his, both of their eyes closing in anticipation. Their lips touched softly for a long moment. He pulled away slightly, opening his eyes half way and searching her face for a sign that he should continue. When she raised her hand to his cheek and pulled him back to her, that was all the reassurance he needed.

In this moment, his life was perfect.

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**Just wanted to let everyone know that in the event of any of the sites I post this on close down, TSG is being posted on three different websites right now and I plan to add more in the future.**

**Currently I am posting this on:**

**Fanfiction . Net  
The Spuffy Realm (spikeluver . Com)  
Elysian Fields (dark-solace. org/elysian/index. php)**

**It is under the same title and my pen name is either ViciousRejects, or ViciousRejesct. (I chose a wonderful time to have a typo, yes?) If anyone has any other suggestions as to where I should post this little baby fic, I'd love to hear them. :)**

**Thoughts? Reviews? **

**(Oh, and don't worry, she's not going to go bat shit crazy again. Also, this is not a dream.)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the wait, my loves. I was in the hospital for a few days and the infection that I had last week or whenever spread to my kidneys and is making me very ill. All I've been doing lately is laying down watching movies and, of course, plenty of Buffy episodes.**

**My lovely reviewer, ACeH-aH, and I were talking about how watching Once More, With Feeling always makes me feel better when I'm sick. She replies with the following...**

"The first time I watched it, during Coda I thought that Spike said "I die", as in, when Buffy touches the fire she freezes, and when he touches the fire he dies. HAHA I get it now..." 

**Honestly made my week and I felt the need to share it with the rest of my Buffy lovers out there.**

**Love you, S, you made my week. :)**

**Chapter 7**

With a triumphant grin, Spike's lips descended upon hers as he kissed her again, loving the way her lips felt as they caressed his own. Slowly but surely, the kiss deepened as he gently took her lips between his teeth, biting it softly before kissing it again. Her mouth opened slightly, allowing his tongue entrance as he took the invitation graciously. They went on kissing like this for a long time, neither one wanting the moment, their moment, to end. The need to breathe forced Buffy to pull away, gasping for air as she did so, sweet smile on her face mirroring the happiness in her heart. He leaned his forehead against hers, opening his eyes slowly as they both panted for air.

Out of nowhere, a bright white light flashed up to their faces, blinding them for a moment before Spike raised his hand to block some of it out. He could barely make out the figure of a man standing at the bottom of the large chair shining a flashlight on them.

"Hey!" He yelled. "What are you doing up there?"

"Oh, sodding hell." Spike said, standing quickly as Buffy did the same.

"What's going on?" Buffy asked.

"Can't you read? You're not allowed on the stands!" The man yelled.

"Uh oh." Buffy said, the seriousness of the situation just now dawning on her.

"Beach Patrol 151, this is 212. We've got a code 14 over at chair seven." The man said in to the two way radio at his side.

"Come on." Spike said as he pulled her to the other side of the large chair.

"What about our stuff?"

"Leave it, let's go!" Without a second thought, the two jumped off of the chair, landing with a soft thud on the sand below. Spike quickly pulled Buffy to her feet and the two ran as fast as they could down the beach and back toward the bonfire.

They made it back to the large crowd in record time and were lucky enough to find Willow and Oz as soon as they arrived. "Sorry to cut this short," Spike said as they reached them, "but we've got to go."

They didn't give them the time to ask questions as they pushed them off of the beach and over toward the car. Oz had apparently learned how to open Spike's doors and quickly did so before jumping inside, moving to the far end so Willow could follow in suit. Spike quickly opened Buffy's door for her before sprinting to his own and getting inside. He quickly started the car and sped off, giving one last glance back to the beach where he saw two other beach patrolmen pull up in a white golf cart.

"What's with all the rent-a-cops?" Oz asked after they had gotten a safe distance away from the beach.

"Yeah, and where are your shoes?" Willow asked.

Buffy looked down at her feet, she had almost forgotten that she'd left those behind. She and Spike glanced at one another, both trying to stop the bout of laughter brewing inside of them. It was no use. Within a matter of seconds the entire car was filled with the sound of their joint laughing as Oz and Willow looked on in curious confusion.

What a night it had been.

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Friday and Saturday had come and gone quickly as far as Buffy was concerned. She had spent the majority of the time working, both days being particularly busy, and she had hardly even found the time to talk to Spike. When she did, though, it always seemed to bring a smile to her face and put a spring in her step. When they had been put in charge of getting the cake for Clem's surprise party together, she had immediately turned down Spikes offer to order one.

"It'll mean more if we make it ourselves." She had insisted.

He had known immediately that it would most likely end in disaster, but he never would have imagined all the carnage and mess that now littered his kitchen to even be possible through one attempt at making a cake. Flour and sugar were scattered all over the floors and cabinets, egg shells littered the sink, and a bit of spilled milk was splattered on the counter. All of the ingredients they had used were still sitting on the island and Buffy was carefully placing the cake batter in to the oven.

"Safe to say you've never made a cake before, yeah?" Spike asked.

"Well," she hesitated, "no, but I didn't think it would be that hard."

"You're the one who wouldn't settle for the box mix. Had to make it all from scratch."

"I thought it would be fun." She shrugged. "And it's not like you did much better than me."

"Says the girl who couldn't crack a single egg without getting shells in it."

Out of nowhere, a handful of flour was thrown his way, hitting him in the face and spreading down his black shirt. He quickly spit what little flour had gotten in to his mouth out as he wiped his eyes with his arm. When he finally opened them, he saw Buffy standing across the kitchen from him, hand dusted white with leftover flower from her throw.

He raised an eyebrow at her, playful smirk appearing on his lips. "You want to play, do you?"

Buffy laughed as she took a step back toward the counter behind her. "Maybe."

"You sure about that, Goldilocks?" He asked, slowly walking toward her.

She raised her chin in a defiant way as she stepped backwards again, her body coming in contact with the counter top. "I can take you."

He let out a soft chuckle. "Can you now?" He asked stepping up to her. She hadn't even noticed him grab the measuring cup still half filled with milk from beside her. "Let's just see about that."

With that, Spike lifted the measuring cup above her head and tilted it toward her, sending the liquid pouring over her head and down her shoulders and back. She squealed in surprise, jumping as the cold hit her body. The next thing Spike knew, Buffy had an egg in her hand and was cracking it over his head. She pushed against him and tried to run out of the kitchen, but it was all to no avail. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back to him, taking a handful of sugar and dusting it through her hair from behind. This gave her plenty of time to grab the water bottle she had been drinking from and with one quick turn had it pouring over his bleached blonde head.

"Christ! That's cold!" He yelled as Buffy laughed.

She pulled herself out of his one armed grasp and ran for the living room. Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough and Spike caught up with her quickly, practically pouncing on her as the two fell on to the black leather loveseat. He let her turn herself over underneath of him before she settled on the couch, admitting defeat in this battle.

"Nasty little bint." Spike said as he looked down at the golden goddess. She was covered in milk and sugar with a huge smile plastered on her face, she had never looked more inviting. "Now what was the point of that?"

She shrugged. "I dunno," she said, "but it was fun."

"No argument there." He said as he rested his forehead against hers, just enjoying the moment while he could. The closeness of her body and the intimacy of the moment was almost too much. This girl drove him crazy, up the wall and back down tenfold, and every day his adoration for her grew.

"What are we doing here, luv?" He asked suddenly.

Buffy's eyes shot up to his, confusion clear in the forest green orbs. "What?"

"What is this?" He asked again, there was no anger in his voice, no malice or annoyance. His tone was soft and calm, his eyes were gentle and his facial features were relaxed. "What do you want it to be?"

"I don't know," she said, glancing away from him, "but I don't want to be just some fling."

He let out a soft laugh, shaking his head. "Would I go through all this trouble just for some passing fancy?"

"I don't know." She said quietly.

"Despite what the press and gossip mags may say, I'm not some modern swinger and I've never been the groupie type. In point of fact," he said with a small smile, "I'm actually quite the hopeless romantic."

"I'm just worried." Buffy admitted quietly, voice near a whisper.

"Look at me," he said, his own voice lowering to the tone that hers had been as he moved one strong hand to gently graze her cheek, prompting her to move her eyes back to his face, "what's got you bothered, luv?"

She sighed, moving a strand of hair from her face as he looked back down at her. "What happens when you go back on tour?"

A sad smile appeared on his face, he knew this would be coming up any time now. "I've got a few more weeks here, pet, we can cross that bridge when we get to it, no need to make any decisions just yet."

"I know," Buffy said, "it's still something to think about."

"I've made my intentions perfectly clear," he said, an edge of seriousness coloring his tone, "I want nothing more than for you to be my girl, for it to be you and me against the world, but only if you'll have me. Only if it would make you happy."

She sighed again. "It would make me happy."

Every nerve in Spike's body jumped, shocked and excited by the sudden admission. "Then what's stopping us, pet? Let's give it a go, throw caution to the wind and jump in feet first."

She laughed softly, running her hand through her hair. "What if you go back on the road and you meet some leggy blonde with big boobs and a pretty smile and forget all about me?"

Spike shook his head, genuine smile on his face at her ridiculous comment. "Wouldn't happen, pet, ever."

"Oh, come on," Buffy said, "I'm not that great."

Spike raised an eyebrow, something finally clicking together in his mind. "So that's what this is about then."

Buffy's eyes darted back and forth in a confused motion. "What?" She asked.

He got up quickly, jumping off of the loveseat and standing in front of her as she moved herself to sit upright. "This was never about me, or Angel, or your father or anyone else. It's about you."

She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. "Not following."

He pointed a finger at her in an excited way, like he had just figured out a complicated math problem. "You have low self esteem."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "What?"

"No, no, it's true." He said, pacing back in forth before her, shaking his head with an almost relieved look on his face. "Some bloody ponce fucked up that pretty little head of yours by acting like a right git and going for some queen of the dead wannabe and now you can't see your own worth. Should have seen it before."

"I have plenty of self esteem." She said.

"This entire time I thought it was me, that I was doing something wrong, that I should have been doing more." He laughed, completely ignoring her statement. "I was doing enough, plenty, but they weren't the right things, they weren't the reassurance that you needed. You need someone to show you just how special _you _are, not how special they could be for you."

"Spike, what the hell are you talking about?" Buffy asked.

"That's why you can't figure out if you want to be with me or not, it's not that I'm not good enough, it's that you don't think you are." All of a sudden he was knelt down on the floor in front of her, cupping her cheeks in his hands and kissing her gently. "Oh, Buffy, you crazy bint you, I'm gonna show you just how precious you are, all that worry and self-doubt, I'm taking it away."

"Yeah?" Buffy asked. "And how exactly are you going to do that?"

He smirked, that famous, mischievous little half smile that always meant you were in trouble. "Tomorrow night I'm gonna prove it to you. I'm gonna show you and all your friends just how much of a star Miss Buffy Summers is in these eyes, baby. You'll see."

Suddenly, a high pitched beeping sound filled the entire apartment, making both of their heads turn toward the kitchen doorway. The smoke slowly oozing from the neighboring room was the only thing that made them remember what had gotten them in to this position in the first place.

"The cake!" Buffy yelled, jumping off of the loveseat and running toward the kitchen, Spike following close behind. The entire room was filled with smoke and the fire alarm was going off loudly above their heads. "Can you turn that thing off?" Buffy yelled over it.

"Bit busy at the moment!" He yelled back as he opened the door to the oven. He was greeted by a cloud of black smoke as he shoved his oven-mitted hand in to the abyss. He pulled the cake out and quickly threw it in to the sink, turning the water on to cool it down.

Buffy was jumping up and down with a kitchen towel in her hand, swinging it back and forth under the fire alarm. Spike pulled a chair over from the island and quickly stepped on top of it. He reached up and undid the small compartment on the front of the alarm, pulling the battery out and ceasing the high pitched beeping. Buffy opened the kitchen windows and slowly but surely, the smoke began to leave the room.

Spike quickly stormed out of the kitchen and made his way back in to the living room. "What are you doing?" Buffy called.

"Ordering a bloody cake!"

Buffy laughed quietly to herself, she wouldn't be cooking in Spike's kitchen again for a long time.

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Anya Jenkins, party planner extraordinaire, made her way to The Shadow Gallery like a woman on a mission. Her arms were filled with bags holding streamers, balloons, table cloths, and multiple other party necessities. She walked up to the door and kicked it three times with her tiny, booted feet. After a few seconds without an answer, she kicked it again, this time with much more force that before.

"Come on your idiot! Open the door!" She yelled. As if on cue, Xander opened the door with an annoyed look on his face. "About time." Anya said pushing in past him.

Xander rolled his eyes. "Well, hello to you, too."

"There's a helium tank in my car across the street," she called over her shoulder, "go get it."

Xander looked across the street and saw a shiny white convertible, large metal helium tank sitting in the back seat. He grabbed the cart he had been using to move boxes around the bar and made his way toward the car, lifted the tank from the back, and rolled it inside effortlessly.

Anya looked over at him in shock. "You got that in here all by yourself?" She asked.

"Yeah," Xander said, "well me and the cart, but to be fair I did do most of the work."

"It took two guys to get that thing in to my car, you must be very strong." She commented.

Xander shrugged, goofy shy smile appearing on his face. "Well, I do work out in my apartment."

Anya smiled and cocked her head to the side before turning quickly and opening up one of the plastic bags filled with supplies. She pulled out the table cloths and began covering the high tops as Xander went back to work in the supply room, writing down what had come in that day. To say he hadn't been immediately attracted to Anya would have been a lie, the comment about his muscles had made him turn in to the awkward boy he had been as a teenager. He had noticed her dry wit and bluntness and, to be honest, it had made her that much more appealing to him. He liked a girl that would speak her mind, who said what everyone else was thinking no matter how crude the comment may be.

"Hey." he heard from behind him. He turned and was a little surprised to see Anya standing there with a 'Happy Birthday' banner all packaged up in her small hands. "Do you have a knife or some scissors or something?" He glanced around and quickly located him box cutter, closing it up before handing it to her. She cut the package open and handed it back to him. "Thanks." She turned to leave the small room, but was stopped by a hand on her wrist. She turned back around slowly, mischievous glint in her eyes.

Out of nowhere, the two practically lunged at one another and Xander was pushed against the shelves behind him, Anya's lips attacking his own.

To the outside world, The Shadow Gallery was closed and calm, but the two inside were getting as busy as two people possibly could.

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"The cake looks awesome." Buffy said from her spot in the back of Spike's car. Willow sat next to her, plates and plastic ware in a large bag on her lap, as Spike drove the three of them, plus Oz and Bob, to The Shadow Gallery.

"Much better than that mutant thing we brought to life." Spike commented with a smile.

"I bet the maid was pissed." Oz said.

"Good ol' Georgia's cleaned up much worse than that, believe me." Spike said. "Remember Bob's twenty-second birthday party I threw there? Didn't know so much vomit could come out of one bloke."

"Watermelon Vodka just doesn't agree with me." Bob said in casual defense.

"Really?" Oz asked. "Is that why you had thirteen shots of it?"

Buffy glanced over at Bob in shock, he just gave her a proud smile in return. "Lucky number."

Buffy shook her head, she and Willow laughing softly as she glanced forward. She wasn't surprised to see Spike glance back at her in the rear view mirror before quickly turning his eyes back to the road. She smiled to herself as she looked out the window, she had never had a large group of friends, even in Sunnydale, and she had to admit that this was pretty nice. She had had Willow and Xander since she had moved here, that was true, but adding a few more faces to the mix, well, it was nice.

Spike pulled up to the front door of the bar and put his foot on the brake. "Alright, everybody out."

Buffy tried to open her door, but with his ridiculously damaged handles she knew it was pointless before she had even tried. "How do you suppose we do that?"

Spike turned and looked at Bob, an expectant look on his face. "I'm going, I'm going." Bob said as he did a little magic jiggle with the handle, it opened easily and he slid out of the car.

"You really need a new car." Buffy said as she began to slide across the back seat.

"No," Spike said, "you just need to learn how to open the doors."

Buffy raised her eyebrow. "I know how to open normal car doors," she said, playful tone in her bantering voice, "yours are just in need of replacing."

"Says the girl depending on me for a ride." He said as Willow stepped out of the car, amused smile on her face as she met up with Oz on the sidewalk.

"I can always take the bus." She retorted.

"Ungrateful chit." He glanced around quickly, making sure they were alone and not under the gaze of any prying eyes. "Kiss me."

Buffy laughed as she leaned forward, gently touching her soft lips to his. The kiss was short and sweet, but everything about it was completely perfect.

"You look great today, luv, really." He said quietly, making the moment that much more intimate.

She looked down at herself quickly. She was wearing a light gray sweater-like top that was pulled snugly around her small body, but with slightly larger, three quarter length, sleeves that hung loosely from her arms. She wore a pair of dark gray skinny jeans and a simple pair of black heels. Truthfully, the outfit was nothing special, but Spike had always insisted on showering her in compliments.

She smiled, raising a hand to his cheek and pulling him in for a second, slightly longer kiss. She pulled back, adorable smile still plastered on her face. "Thank you."

"You ready for your surprise?" He asked, tip of his tongue meeting the front of his teeth.

"Tonight is about Clem," Buffy said, "not me or your ridiculous attempts to woo me."

"Woo you?" Spike asked, his tone mocking. "Who says the word 'woo' anymore?"

She gave him a sideways glance as she began to slide across the back seat and over to the open door. "Go park your car."

He laughed as the door closed behind her. Tonight, he hoped, would be life changing.

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The Shadow Gallery looked good on a normal night, but tonight it looked exceptional. The high tops were all covered in deep purple, plastic table cloths and there were matching streamers and balloons everywhere. The black plates and cutlery that Willow had been told to bring went with them perfectly and she had made quick work of setting up each table with a small pile of each. Everyone was running around doing something as Anya continued to bark orders at them, even Giles was following her lead. Before long, everything was ready and Xander was given the go ahead to call Clem.

"Hey Xan Man, what's up?" Clem's happy voice practically shouted through the speakerphone.

"Hey, Clem, I'm sorry to call you right now and all but you need to get down here." Xander said, perfect serious tone in his voice.

"Is everything okay?" Clem asked.

"I don't know, some kids must have gotten in here while I was doing inventory and, well, you'd just better get down here." Xander said, covering his mouth with his hand to keep from laughing.

"What do you mean some kids? Did you call the police?"

"Yeah, I did, and they said to get you down here. I don't know anything about insurance or any of that stuff." Xander said.

Clem sighed. "Alright, I'll be right there." With that, Clem's end of the phone went dead.

"Wow, not even a goodbye." Faith said shaking her head.

"He's really upset." Buffy said.

Cordelia shrugged. "It'll make the real surprise better. I'll go keep a look out."

"Everyone get to your hiding spot!" Anya yelled. "Clem only lives six minutes away so be ready."

All of the co-conspirators made their way to their earlier determined hiding spots. Willow and Oz were on the side of the bar as Xander stood behind it. Faith stood next to one of the large speakers on the side of the stage while Cordelia got herself ready to jump in to the employee coat closet at the first sign on Clem's arrival. Giles and Anya were simply standing at the edge of the hallway that lead to the store room as Buffy and Spike stood between the opening of the curtain on stage.

A soft chuckle sounded from Spike's throat, causing Buffy to glance over at him curiously. "What's so funny?"

"This is where we first met." He said simply.

Buffy tried to not smile as she rolled her eyes. "That last time I heard that I was watching Titanic and the ship was about to be sucked in to the water."

"Just ruin everything, don't you, Summers?" He asked.

She laughed softly. "I try."

"He's here!" Cordelia yelled as she moved in to the small closet.

Everyone in the room crouched and moved in to position as Spike let the curtain fall closed. They stood face to face, but their entire attention was focused on what they could hear from beyond the curtain. They heard the front door to the bar quickly unlock and Clem's fast, heavy footfalls make it past the small foyer.

"Xander!" He yelled, panic evident in his voice.

"Behind the bar." Xander called back.

They heard Clem take a few steps before stopping quickly. "What is all this?"

"SURPRISE!" Everyone cried as they jumped out of their hiding spots.

Clem jumped back in surprise as he put a hand over his chest, but there was soon a smile that took over his entire face. Everyone rushed over toward him, the girls enveloping him in hugs as the men all shook his hand. Clem was usually a happy person, but it was evident to any onlooker that this had meant a lot to him. That alone made the past few hours of Anya's dictatorship completely worth it.

000000000000

"Autographed hard back V for Vendetta!" Clem yelled in excitement. "How did you get this?"

Spike shrugged. "Alan Moore's a fan, called in a favor."

"Oh, Spike, that's really neat, thank you." Clem said, getting up and almost running over to the glass display case behind the bar. He opened it and put the autographed graphic novel front and center.

All in all, Clem had made out pretty well. Xander had gotten him a wireless headset to use while playing his random online games that he enjoyed so much while Cordelia had gotten him a gift certificate for a massage and some aromatherapy candles targeted toward relieving stress. Faith had somehow gotten him a large bottle of Absinthe that he had immediately gone to hide away in his office. Bob had bought him a very detailed and realistic Star Wars light saber and Willow and Oz had complimented that gift with a customized Darth Vader costume. Anya and Giles had both pitched in together to get him a small Ipod, knowing from an earlier conversation that he had never bought himself one. Buffy had gone with Spike's suggestion and gotten him a sixteen inch model of Rorschach from The Watchmen which was currently sitting in the display case right next to Spike's graphic novel.

"I think that was his favorite." Buffy said as Clem made his way around the room, thanking everyone.

"I've known Clem since I was a kid," Spike said, "you know the name of the bar comes from that book?" Buffy shook her head. "Yeah, V's hideout, he calls it The Shadow Gallery. It's where he puts all the art and nicknacks, and, well, Evey when he gets them. All his illegal stuff is there."

Buffy smiled. "Is someone a closet nerd?"

Spike took a swig of his beer. "No secret there, luv, why do you think we did a song for The Watchmen soundtrack?"

"I never really thought about it." Buffy admitted.

"Was a favorite of mine as a kid, still love it." He said. "That and The Crow."

"The Crow, like the movie with Bruce Lee's son in it?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah," Spike said, "but the comic was so much better, bloody butchered it they did."

Buffy shrugged. "I liked the movie."

"I did, too, but the book and the movie, their incomparable." Spike said before going off on a tangent comparing the two. Buffy smiled and nodded, loving how she had just uncovered another one of Spike's great loves. She knew from the few interviews she had caught that he was a big fan of the soap opera Passions, but comics were something she wouldn't have known he'd have such an interest and love for. There was no doubt about it, Spike was full of surprises.

"So are you two like a thing?" Cordelia's voice rang out over the small crowd. Buffy noticed Cordelia's gaze shoot down to the hands interlocking on the table between them, fingers entangled as they held one another close. She felt the blood rise to her face and she knew that her cheeks must be a lovely shade of pink by now.

"Um," Buffy stammered, "well, no, but-"

"Well why not?" Faith interjected. "You two are awful friendly over there."

"I know, aren't they? I thought I was the only one noticing it when I walked in the other day and now they're here holding hands." Cordelia said.

"They've been like that for a few days now." Bob said, earning a surprised look from just about everyone. "What? I notice things."

Everyone turned their attention back to the couple in question. "So what's going on?"

Spike squeezed her hand gently, a comforting gesture on his part that caused Buffy's eyes to move to his face. He had a smile on his face, a reassuring look in his eyes. "That's for us to know." He said.

"Oh come on," Faith moaned, "we're your friends, not some paparazzi gang."

"Yeah!" Cordelia agreed. "We deserve to know!"

"Guys." Xander attempted to warn as Willow and Clem just glanced back and forth between everyone, not knowing what to do.

"I heard you beat up that Angel guy." Faith said turning her attention to Spike. "Good for you! That guy is a total creep."

"He is, isn't he?" Cordelia agreed. "You know, he's always trying to hit on me and-"

"Cake!" Anya yelled suddenly. The conversation stopped as everyone looked over at her, Buffy had never been more thankful for a single person in her life. "It's cake time. Buffy, could you go get the cake?"

Buffy said nothing as she stood quickly, almost sprinting to flee the now tension filled bar floor. She hardly noticed the footsteps following behind her.

000000000000

She made the quick turn to go down the small corridor that lead to Clem's office and the store room where Anya had put the cake. Her heart was racing and she had to fight the urge to just run from the bar to avoid going back in to the lions den a few feet away. She walked in to the store room and momentarily wondered why it looked so messy inside.

"Buffy!" Spike called as he followed a few feet behind her. She turned and waited for him, hand on her cheek as she leaned against the wall. "You alright, pet?"

She nodded, taking a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm okay. I just wish people could let it be."

He hooked and arm around her neck, pulling her toward him with little effort. "People are gonna get curious, luv."

She nodded, wrapping her arms around his middle. "I know."

"Paparazzi's even worse. Can't get a bloody burger without being hassled about some tabloid rumor. Just something you get used to. I'm surprised they haven't come at you yet." He said.

Buffy sighed. "Why does this have to be so hard?"

Spike chuckled. "Tip of the iceberg, luv."

"What is with all the Titanic references tonight?"

"Was on last night," he admitted with a shrug, "might be in the back of my brain a little bit."

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The remaining guests dispersed to random tables and places at the bar, all waiting for the cake that Spike and Buffy were getting. Oz and Willow sat at the table closest to the bar while Bob, Giles, and Clem sat at one across from them. Faith and Cordelia sat at the end of the bar talking with Xander and Anya. No one even noticed when another man, dressed in dark jeans, black hoodie, and a ski mask, walked in to the bar with a gun raised in his right hand.

He pulled the trigger once, launching a bullet in to the roof above him. "Everybody listen up! This is a robbery!"

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Both Buffy and Spike's attention shifted as a loud bang went through the air.

"What the hell was that?" Buffy asked quietly, glancing down the hall for signs of an answer.

"I don't know." Spike said, turning around and standing in front of her, grabbing one of her hands in his.

Spike slowly made his way out of the room and down the hall, keeping Buffy close behind him the entire time. He stopped just short of the end of it and poked his head around the corner. He saw the man dressed in dark clothing standing in the middle of the room, facing the bar and away from them, gun pointed in the general direction of where their friends were sitting.

"No heroes today, do what I say and we'll all be just fine. Nobody has to get hurt." He said loudly. "Everyone needs to put their hands up and walk slowly behind the bar."

"What's going on?" Buffy whispered from behind him.

Spike turned quickly and put a hand over her mouth as he gently pushed her against the wall. "There's a man with a gun," he mouthed more than spoke, "stay behind me and don't make a sound."

Buffy nodded, fear evident in her eyes. Spike released his hand from her mouth and turned back to the scene unfolding before them, making sure to keep his body in front of hers.

"Which one of you knows how to get in to the cash register?" The gunman asked.

Xander glanced over to Cordelia and Faith, no way was he going to let them get involved in this. He turned his attention to Clem who was staring at the man in sheer terror, clearly this was up to him. "I do."

The gunman turned his attention to Xander, pointing the gun at him. "Open the register and bring me the cash."

Xander walked over to the register and pressed a few keys. The register popped open with a metallic clang and Xander quickly collected the money, it was no more than a thousand dollars. He raised his hands in a surrendering motion as he made his way from behind the bar and approached where he was standing. He handed the cash over to him before dropping his arms to his sides.

"Is this all of it?" He asked.

Xander nodded. "Yeah, man, that's it."

"What about the safe?" The gunman asked, shoving the money in to a plastic grocery bag, never moving the gun from Xander's form.

"The safe?" He asked. A motion on the other side of the room caught his attention and he quickly focused his eyes on the hallway leading to the store room. He saw Spike standing in the doorway, he cocked his head to the side in a 'come here' motion. Xander nodded quickly before turning his attention back to the gunman.

"Yes, moron, the safe. Where is it?" He asked, cocking the gun and raising it toward Xander's head.

"It's in the office." Xander lied quickly, truly an amazing feat with a gun pointed in his face.

"Show me."

Spike spun around and grabbed Buffy by the arm. He lead her in to the store room and quickly got her to crouch down in the corner. "Xander's bringing him this way, stay down and stay hidden." He lowered his lips to her forehead, kissing her softly in an attempt to calm her. "You're gonna be alright, luv, I promise."

She nodded as he stood and made his way to the doorway of the store room, positioning his body so that whoever came walking down the hall would never see him. The second the gunman's body passed the doorway, he was throttled in to the wall across from him by a flash of black and blonde. The force of the impact caused the gun to fall from his hand as Spike's fist connected with his masked face.

Gaining his bearings, the man pushed Spike away from him and took his chance to knee him in the groin. As Spike fell to the ground, Xander took his opportunity to deliver a swift blow to the back of his head. The man turned quickly and surprised Xander as his fist met his face, hitting him hard enough to break his nose and cause a steady stream of blood to pour from it.

The gunman was suddenly hit from the side by a crowbar to the ribs, his surprise only grew when he saw the small blonde girl who had delivered the blow. He grabbed her by the arms and threw her with all of his might against the wall, her body crumpling to the floor as she let out a startled yell.

"Buffy!" Spike yelled, back to his feet in an instant. He ran at the man and tackled him to the ground, grinding a knee in to his rib and punching the man square in the face. Unfortunately, he didn't notice how close they had landed to the gun or that the man had even grabbed it until the base of it cracked in to the side of his face. Blood poured from the cut on his eyebrow, coating the side of his face and temporarily blinding his left eye.

The gunman stood back up, gun in hand, and pointed it in Buffy's direction. Spike jumped up from the ground and grabbed the gun, trying to wrestle it from his hands again. All motion stopped as a shot rang out, nobody sure of who it had hit. The gunman took his chance and ran from the area and out the front door, leaving the money and all thoughts of a safe behind.

Buffy looked up from her spot on the floor just in time to see Spike's hand clench his rib, blood oozing through his shirt and covering his hands as he fell to the floor.

"Spike!" She screamed, crawling over to him on all fours. His face was covered in blood from his eyebrow to the collar of his shirt and a pool of blood was forming underneath of him from the bullet hole. It looked like something out of a horror movie.

"Someone call an ambulance!" Xander yelled, running over to the blood covered couple on the floor.

"Bu-Buffy..." Spike muttered, breathing labored and tears filling his crystal blues.

"I'm here," she said as she grabbed his hand between hers, "I'm here."

"A-are... are you?" He tried to speak.

"Shh," Buffy said, running her free hand through his bleached hair as the tears fell freely from her eyes, "it's okay, you're going to be fine."

"S-st-stay with me." He breathed.

Buffy squeezed his hand gently. "I'm not going anywhere."

Within minutes they were surrounded by people and medical equipment as the paramedics rushed inside. There was a stretcher and multiple black bags as the hallway filled up, but all Buffy could concentrate on was the man laying on the floor covered in blood, the man holding her hand, the man who had just saved her life.

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**I'm not 100% happy with this chapter and I'll probably re-write it later, but I hope someone out there enjoyed it just a little. Reviews? :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Buffy kept her hand wrapped around Spike's, never once letting go even as he slipped from consciousness as one of the paramedics checked his vitals. She felt hands on her shoulders and turned quickly to see Xander standing behind her, dried blood smeared from his nose to his cheek, looking down at her with knowing eyes. She moved her free hand to lay atop one of his, silently thanking him for his support.

"I'm sorry but we're going to have to ask you two to step outside." One of the paramedics said, standing slowly from his spot on the floor and moving to one of the black bags.

Buffy instantly shook her head. "No, I can't leave him."

"Buff," Xander said quietly, "we've got to let them do their jobs. You took a pretty good hit in to that wall, you should probably get checked out."

"I promised him I wouldn't leave him, Xander." She said, a fresh wave of tears making it to her eyes.

"Pulse is 43 beats per minute, weak and thready."

"Come on, Buff, do it for me." Xander said. "You know if something is wrong with you and I didn't make you get checked out he's going to kick my ass."

Buffy laughed somewhat at the comment, nodding her head and finally agreeing to be seen. Xander took her hand in his and helped her to her feet, leading her out of the hallway and over to the front door of the bar. When they opened it, a whole new world of chaos met their eyes. Red and blue lights were flashing everywhere and Buffy could see the yellow police tape lining the area. Beyond the tape a crowd was forming, watching everything go down each passing second. Each person who had been inside was busy talking to one police officer or another, obviously getting their statements recorded. Xander put a comforting hand on Buffy's back and lead her to the team of paramedics waiting next to one of the two ambulances.

"Buffy!" Willow called as she and Oz rushed toward her friend, pulling her in to a crushing hug. "Are you okay? Xander made us all leave and wait outside and nobody knew who got hurt in the hallway!"

"I'm fine, Wills." Buffy said, hugging her friend back tightly. She noticed one of the paramedics come over and pull Xander to the back of the ambulance, checking his nose and testing his vision.

As she released her, she saw her brows furrow on confusion. "Where's Spike?"

Buffy looked at Oz, knowing he would be just as concerned as she was. "He was shot." She said.

"Is he going to be okay?" Oz asked.

Buffy shook her head. "I don't know, he passed out when the paramedics got here and then they rushed us out here."

"Miss, would you mind if I took a quick look at you?" One of the female paramedics asked. Buffy nodded as the woman began to feel her head for bumps. "That man over there told me you were thrown in to a wall, is that true?"

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, but I feel fine."

She turned her small penlight on, flashing it quickly in to Buffy's eyes. "Adrenaline could cover any pain or symptoms you might actually be having. I just want to make sure that you don't have a concussion. Do you have any memory loss or have any momentary black outs?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Can you see-"

"Spike!" All attempts at checking Buffy over were thrown out the window as she saw the bar doors open and Spike being pushed out on a stretcher. She ran as fast as her feet could carry her over to the stretcher and practically knocked a paramedic out of the way. He had a white sheet covering his body and an oxygen mask covering his still blood caked face. She could see that he was still unconscious and that scared her to death.

"Is he okay?" She asked in a panic.

"We won't know anything until we get him to the hospital, miss." One of the paramedics said as they pushed him in to the back of the first ambulance as two of the three remaining paramedics jumped in behind him. They closed the doors quickly and the last paramedic ran around to the front of the vehicle, starting it and taking off within seconds.

"Buffy!" Bob's voice called from the road next to her. He had somehow gotten inside Spike's car, crazy doors and all, and was motioning for her to jump in the front seat. Not wanting to mess with getting the door open, she climbed in the passenger side window and positioned herself in the seat, not even noticing Oz and Willow in the back until now. "Fasten your seat belt."

She did as he said and they were off, following the ambulance closely and disregarding the laws of traffic as much as it did. Within minutes they were at the entrance of the emergency room. "You guys go in, I'll go park the car."

Oz fiddled with the door of the back seat, not being able to get it with the normal ease due to the seriousness of the situation they were in. "God damn it, Spike!" He cursed as he finally got the door to open. They rushed inside and practically ran up to the receptionist. "Spike Pratt was just brought in here, where is he?"

"Are you family?" The woman asked calmly.

"I'm his band mate and this is his... girlfriend." Oz said quickly. "Can you please tell us where he is?"

"I'm working on it, sir, you'll just have to give me a few moments." She said leisurely as she typed a ridiculous amount of letters in to her computer. Oz gripped the counter tightly, staring daggers at the woman and wanting nothing more than to jump over the table and find his answers himself. "It seems that Mr. Pratt is being listed as in serious condition."

"No shit, he just got shot!" Oz yelled.

The woman looked completely taken aback. "I'm afraid you'll just have to have a seat and wait until the doctor comes to see you, sir. I have no further information."

"Oh, my God!" Oz yelled, spinning from the counter and stomping over to the group of chairs in the waiting area.

"You can't tell us anything?" Buffy asked the receptionist.

"All I can tell you is what is in the computers and that's all that's in there so far." The receptionist explained.

Buffy nodded and sighed, walking over to join Oz and Willow by the chairs. Neither of them were sitting, but it was definitely in Oz's best interest to walk away from the woman behind the desk. Within minutes Bob had returned from parking the car and only a few moments after that Giles and Anya ran inside. Almost instantly, Anya's cell phone rang and she stepped off to the side to answer it.

"Have they told you anything?" Giles asked as they entered the hospital.

Buffy shook her head. "We're waiting for the doctor to come out and let us know what's going on. Where's Xander?"

"Last I saw they were bringing him here in the second ambulance, something about a concussion." Bob answered, he really did notice things.

Anya clicked her phone shut and quickly made her way back to the group. "The media's already got a hold of this and they're sending people to the hospital." She said.

"How would they know already? It only happened like an hour ago." Willow said.

"It was probably those waitresses from the bar, Carolina and Hope." Anya said.

"Cordelia and Faith." Buffy corrected.

"Regardless, they'll be here any minute." Giles said.

As if on cue, the doctor walked through the double doors that lead to the patient area of the emergency room. "Mr. Pratt?" She asked walking up to their sizable group. She was a pretty brunette girl, skinny with a pair of glasses framing her kind eyes.

"Yes." Giles answered.

The doctor nodded. "I'm Dr. Burkle, I'm in charge of Mr. Pratt's care here. I understand that this is a high profile case, would you like to take this somewhere a little more private?"

"Can we all come?" Bob asked.

"Absolutely, we do have a protocol for this type of thing. If you will all just follow me." She turned and walked through the double doors, holding them open as each member of the party made their way through them. By the commotion that was suddenly coming from the waiting room now behind them, Buffy could tell that they had narrowly avoided the army of paparazzi that they had known was coming their way.

She lead them down a long hallway and through another set of double doors. This waiting room was much like the other one, white cushioned chairs and small couches scattered about with a few tables placed here and there. There was a television in the corner and stacks of magazines on the tables and a couple of vending machines in the corner.

"How is he?" Buffy asked.

"To say that Mr. Pratt's situation isn't serious would be a lie." Dr. Burkle said. "We aren't sure what damage the bullet did or if we'll be able to get it out. He will have to undergo surgery and the cut above his eye will without a doubt need stitches and leave quite a scar. He did regain consciousness momentarily when he got here, but has since lost it again. "

"When can you operate?" Giles asked.

"He's being prepped for surgery as we speak and I will be scrubbing in as soon as I am done consulting with you all." She explained. "Does Mr. Pratt have any allergies to any medications or anesthetic?"

"No," Anya answered having memorized his medical information as a part of her job, "he's perfectly healthy and has no heart conditions. He had one surgery when he was younger on his ankle and has a metal screw in there from it. Anything else? Can you go save his life now?"

Dr. Burkle adjusted her glasses, obviously surprised by Anya's answers. "I will do everything I possibly can for Mr. Pratt. Is there a Buffy here?" She asked.

Buffy glanced around the room for a second before meekly raising her hand. "I'm Buffy." She said.

Dr. Burkle motioned for her to follow her as she lead her back toward the hallway they had walked through. Only when they were alone and the doors were closed did she begin speaking. "When Mr. Pratt regained consciousness, he asked for you." She said quietly. "He was really out of it, but he wanted me to tell you that this was not the surprise."

Buffy stared at her for a moment, not quite sure what she was talking about. When it finally clicked, she laughed, she couldn't help it, she laughed as a fresh set of tears took over her eyes. "He's such an idiot." She said, wiping her eyes quickly.

Dr. Burkle smiled momentarily, but then her face grew serious again. "Have you seen yourself since your ordeal?"

Buffy's brows furrowed as she shook her head. "No." She answered.

Dr. Burkle pulled a small mirror out of her pocket and handed it over to her. Buffy glanced at her reflection in the mirror, she had dried blood spread on her face and in her hair and tear stains were streaking from her bloodshot eyes. She looked over at her arms and saw the bruises already starting to form just where her sleeves cut off. She looked down at her shirt and pants and only now noticed that she was covered in his blood.

"Oh my God." She whispered.

"This may not be my place," Dr. Burkle said, "but when Mr. Pratt gets out of surgery I'm pretty sure you're going to be the first one he wants to see."

"He can't see me like this." Buffy said.

Dr. Burkle nodded. "I agree, in his weakened state it may do more harm than good."

Buffy shook her head. "The paparazzi's everywhere, I'll never get out of here without them seeing me."

Dr. Burkle glanced around, making sure they were truly alone. "I could get in a lot of trouble for this," she whispered, "but I've put a set of clothes in room 243. Why don't you go wash yourself up and change in to some clean clothes?"

"Thank you so much, Dr. Burkle." Buffy said, fighting the urge to hug the woman with all the blood covering her body.

Dr. Burkle smiled. "Call me Fred. I'll let you know the second there's any news."

With that, Buffy rushed to room 243 as Fred walked in the opposite direction, it was a wonderful night to save some lives.

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The clothes Fred had left for her weren't anything spectacular, in fact they were what they would give any patient upon admittance, but it was better than sitting in the waiting room covered in blood or fighting off the paparazzi. She was wearing a pair of the hospital's dark blue sweat pants and a plain white long sleeved shirt. Her feet were covered with socks, complete with slide-proof technology on the bottoms. Her hair was pulled up in a simple pony tail and she had put just enough concealer on to hide the bruise forming on her cheek. She wasn't quite sure when that had happened, but she still didn't want Spike seeing it.

"Nice outfit." Anya said, not trying to be rude, but to start up a conversation.

"Thank you," Buffy said, "they're designer. You can only get them at University of LA Medical Center."

It had been almost three hours since they had heard anything from Dr. Burkle and everyone was getting a bit restless. Oz and Willow were curled up together on one of the couches watching the TV, Buffy sitting next to them chewing nervously on her fingernails. Giles had been occupying himself with the old magazines scattered around the room and didn't really say much. Bob had nodded off about half an hour ago and was snoring softly in the corner. Anya was sitting across from Buffy, constantly checking her phone for any updates on the media circus covering the situation.

The TV show Oz and Willow were busying themselves with ended and the news started promptly. Everyone knew what was coming up, but none said anything in protest as the anchor woman lead in to a story about their very lives.

"Flesh of the Passions fans are very worried tonight after hearing that singer, Spike Pratt, was shot in an attempted robbery. Sources close to the band have told us that the entire band was present at The Shadow Gallery celebrating a friend's birthday. Spike was reportedly shot while protecting a young girl, Miss Buffy Summers, who he has been seen multiple times out and about with in public. When asked if the two were dating, the source said that they had no comment."

"Well, they did something right." Anya commented.

"Police currently have no leads and The Shadow Gallery will be closed until further notice. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Pratt who is said to be in serious condition at University of LA Medical Center."

Oz changed the channel quickly, not caring about what else was going on the world at the moment. He channel surfed for a while before giving up and settling with an old rerun of South Park. The waiting room doors opened and everyone glanced over to see Xander walk casually in to the room.

"Xander!" Buffy said, jumping up from the couch and walking over to him. The two met in a long, friendly hug and were both glad to see that the other was okay. Buffy stepped back and looked him up and down. "We match." She said.

"We need to stop shopping together." He said.

"What did they say about your head?" Willow asked as the two walked back over to the couch next to her.

"They said they want to keep me overnight for observation, but I wanted to get down here with you guys." He explained.

"So they just let you go?" Buffy asked.

"Not exactly," he said, "I told them that I wasn't leaving the hospital and that technically I would be here overnight. They didn't really know how to handle that so I just walked out."

"So when a bunch of angry night nurses come storming in here, point them in your direction." Oz said. Xander nodded as he took a seat on the couch next to Buffy.

He glanced over at Anya, kind of surprised to see her glancing back. He smiled slightly in hello, a gesture she returned before looking back down at her phone to continue tracking the press coverage. She was a strange bird. Not twelve hours before they had been going at it like rabbits, and now she was as subdued as he'd ever seen her, all work and no play. She was more like a guy than he was.

The double doors opened again and everyone turned to see Dr. Burkle enter the room. Everyone stopped whatever they had been doing, even if their name was Bob and they were sleeping, and turned their complete attention to her.

"How is he?" Oz asked first.

"He's doing great," she said and you could practically feel the tension in the air split, "the bullet hit his rib but otherwise did very little damage. We were able to remove it in one piece and the bone fragments from his rib were easily put back in to place. He lost a lot of blood, but his body responded to what we gave him in the best way possible and I have no doubt that he will make a full recovery."

"Is he awake?" Anya asked.

"He is, the anesthesia wore off very quickly for him. He's incredibly lucky and he's asking for you." She said more so toward Buffy, but directing her comment to everyone.

"Can we see him?" Buffy asked.

"I can take you to his room, but you can only stay for a short time. Hospital policy says that each patient may only have one guest stay overnight with them during their stay." She explained.

Oz nodded. "You should stay," he said to Buffy, "I've dealt with him in the morning before, he's all yours."

Buffy laughed softly as he and Bob shared knowing looks before turning their attention back to Dr. Burkle. "I'd like to keep him here for a few days just to track his progress and make sure there are no signs of infection or other complications." Dr. Burkle said.

"Do whatever you need to do." Giles said calmly.

Dr. Burkle nodded, a sweet smile jumping on to her face. "Everyone ready to see him?"

Buffy nodded, grabbing Oz's hand in hers as they both offered one another moral support. "We're ready."

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They entered the room quickly and weren't surprised to see Spike's eyes closed as his head rested against the pillows on the bed. Wires were sticking out from under his shirt and there was a small clamp on his pointer finger. The oxygen mask had been taken away, much to Buffy's relief, and there was an IV stuck in his arm. The bruise forming around it from it being done in such a rush could be seen from across the room and she had to stop herself from moving her hand gently over it.

"Hey Spike," Oz said as he approached the bed, "how are you doing?"

Spike slowly turned his head over toward his friend, opening his eyes slowly and focusing in on Oz's form. "Peachy, how 'bout you?" He said groggily. Oz chuckled, finally getting some reassurance that he would be okay. "Where's Buff?"

At the sound of her name, Buffy made her way over to the bed. "I'm here." She said taking her place next to Oz.

The hand not connected to the IV slowly moved across the bed and toward her. She quickly dropped her hand to his and he weakly wrapped his fingers around hers. "Are you alright, luv?" He asked.

She nodded. "I'm fine, Spike." She moved her free hand to his face and gently stroked his cheek. "Everyone's fine."

His eyes fell closed again as he took in the sensation of her hands on his skin as if he had never felt it before. "Xander?" He asked.

"I'm fine, too, man." Xander said from across the room. "I don't want to come over there because I'll just end up pulling things from places they don't need to be pulled and that's just not a good time for anyone."

Spike chuckled, lulling his head to the side.

"I think that's enough for tonight." Dr. Burkle said from the doorway. "The most important thing right now is that he gets his rest."

Slowly but surely everyone agreed and began saying their goodbyes for the night, all promising to be back some time the next day. Buffy walked over to the doorway with Willow, Oz, and Xander as they all said their good nights.

"Where are you going?" Buffy asked Xander.

"Back to my room," he answered, "they said they wanted to keep me so I guess I should stay." He glanced over at Spike's form laying in the bed. "If you need anything..."

Buffy nodded. "Thanks." She hugged her friend quickly before he turned to leave, calling a good night wish over his shoulder to his comrade in arms.

Buffy wasn't quite sure what to do so she pulled the chair across the room and sat it next to Spike's bed. She was terrified of doing anything that would hurt him further and had a feeling that if she went any closer to the bed she would do just that. Armed with nothing but a single pillow and blanket, she reclined the chair and began to set up her makeshift bed. It wouldn't be the most comfortable night she had ever had, but the thought of leaving never crossed her mind.

She glanced over to the man laying in the bed next to her, the sight was absolutely heartbreaking. His face was bruised and his eyebrow was stitched in an almost sideways V shape. The blanket fell down just enough to expose the bottom of the gauze pad that Buffy knew would be wrapped in several layers around his middle.

He looked so fragile.

"Buff?" he called out in a quiet whisper, eyes still closed and head resting against the pillow.

She leaned forward, whispering almost directly in to his ear. "I'm here."

Without a word, he extended his hand in her general direction, a light smile flashing across her face for only a moment as she entwined her fingers with his. He gave her hand a light squeeze before dropping their tangled fingers to the bed, never letting go. They stayed like this the rest of the night, keeping contact even after sleep had finally claimed them both.

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Buffy awoke early the next morning feeling as if she hadn't slept at all. She had momentarily forgot all of the events that had lead her here, but without any warning the flood gates opened and everything poured back in to her mind. She looked at the man laying on the hospital bed next to her hoping it had all been a bad dream, but the large gash above his eyebrow proved it was all very much real. Despite the obvious battle wound, he looked so peaceful there, innocent almost, with his eyes closed and breathing deeply as the monitors continued to track his heartbeat. It was in that moment, probably one of the most inopportune ones the two had shared, that she made a decision.

She wanted to be with him.

It felt as if her eyes had been truly opened for the first time and she felt like a fool for not realizing it before. When he had accused her of being afraid, she hadn't realized just how right he was until now. The uncertainties were still there, she couldn't know for certain that they would work out in the long run or if they would even stay together once he left to go back on tour, but she wanted to try. The thought of not being with him, to going back to being alone, made her feel almost sick and she knew it was worth it.

"Knock, knock." She heard from the doorway. She looked over and was surprised to see Fred standing there, cup of coffee in hand as she leaned against the door frame. "Can I come in?"

Buffy smiled. "You're the doctor."

Fred made her way inside the small hospital room and over to where Buffy sat on the chair, holding out the cup of coffee to her. "I don't really know how you like it, but I guessed lots of cream and sugar."

Buffy's smile widened as she reached out and took the coffee in to her hands. "Thank you so much." Fred simply smiled as she made her way over to Spike, looking at the group of monitors on the side and writing some notes in his file. "Anything?"

"I'm pretty sure we'll be able to take him off of most of these machines today when he wakes up, he'll need to keep the IV but I don't really see any reason to keep the heart rate monitor or pulse ox on him. He's doing very well," she said turning back to Buffy, "how are you doing?"

Buffy shrugged. "I'm okay."

Fred closed Spike's file and set it back in the clear holder at the end of his bed. "Do you have any pain or discomfort anywhere?"

"Not that wasn't caused by this chair." Buffy answered.

"Should have climbed in here then, pet."

Both Buffy and Fred glanced back over to the bed, surprised by Spike's groggy voice interrupting their conversation. He sat up slowly in the bed, being sure to keep his middle from moving as much as he could. He looked much better than he had during his brief bouts of consciousness the night before, the light was back in his eyes and his voice was much stronger. His gaze was locked on Buffy as she tilted her head to the side and gave him what he had already dubbed her 'mom look'.

"And pull all of your wires out, great plan." She answered.

"I'd live, right Doc?" He asked, switching his focus to Fred.

"It may not have done you any harm," she answered, "but it wouldn't do you any favors, either."

"See." Buffy said quickly.

Fred simply smiled, looking back and forth between the two. She could practically see the chemistry bubbling between them and it warmed her heart. It was very rare in her profession to see women with such good men by their side, in all honesty it was more common for the man to be the reason for the woman being in the hospital. This was definitely a breath of fresh air for her as the two bickered back and forth.

"Well, I ended up here instead of having cake last night and I'm starving. Where's the cafeteria?" Spike asked.

"It is on the first floor of the hospital, but I wouldn't suggest leaving your room." Fred said.

"Why not?" He asked.

"Well, besides the fact that you are currently connected to an IV and heart rate monitor, your situation has gained a lot of media attention and as of right now there are no less than five members of the press faking illnesses to get the inside story." She explained.

"Bloody hell." Spike muttered.

"I can assure you that you have nothing to worry about, Mr. Pratt. We have all of your files under a different name and only I and two of our very best nurses know who you really are. We will also have a security guard stationed at the entrance to the wing throughout your stay here." She said.

"And just how long will that be?" He asked, annoyance obvious in his tone.

"Friday at the latest, but possibly as early as tomorrow morning." Fred answered as her beeper went off. She glanced down at it before turning the sound off and turning her attention back to the couple in front of her. "I'm sorry, I've got to run. I'll be sure to have your breakfast sent in for you, Mr. Pratt, and I'm sure I can arrange something for Miss Summers as well."

Buffy smiled. "Thanks, Fred."

With a short nod, the brunette moved quickly from the room and in to the hall, closing the door behind her. "Fred?" Spike asked.

Buffy turned her attention back to him. "Yeah, that's her first name I guess."

A small smirk appeared on his face. "You're on a first name basis with my doctor?" Buffy didn't say anything, she merely looked at him, an expression he couldn't quite read adorning her face. He cocked his head slightly to the side as his eyes softened, concern drawn in their crystal blue depths. "What is it, luv?"

"It was bad." She said quietly, he could see tears begin to well up in her eyes, but she quickly choked them back.

"Come on now," he said in a light tone, "it's gonna take much more than a bullet to do me in."

"You don't understand, Spike," she said shaking her head, "we almost lost you, _I _almost lost you."

He stared in to her eyes, trying to find some type of clue as to what to do next. He moved himself over in the bed, making room for her before pulling back the blanket and tilting his head to the side, beckoning her over. "Come here." He whispered.

"Spike, I-"

"Just come here."

Buffy moved slowly from the chair to his bed, slipping in to it carefully and avoiding every single wire or tube coming from his body. When she was completely on the bed, Spike covered her with the blanket and pulled her close to him. When her head hit his chest and his arms wrapped around her small body, it was her undoing. He could feel her tears soak in to the thin shirt he was wearing and it made him hold her even closer.

"Shh, I'm here, baby." He whispered in to her hair, kissing her head softly. "No need for tears."

"I was so scared." She whispered.

"I know," he said, "but I'm okay now. You heard the lady doc, I'll make a full recovery."

"It doesn't matter," Buffy said, "I'm done wasting time."

Spike pulled back slightly, putting a finger under her chin and raising her face with his hand. "What do you mean?" He asked.

Buffy took a deep breath, wiping the tears from her eyes before running a quick hand through her hair, removing the stray strands from her face. "This is really difficult for me to say, so don't interrupt. I just need you to listen and to hear me out."

Spike's brows furrowed, a little nervous about what her little announcement may be. "I'm listening."

"When we first met," she started, "I thought you were just some idiot rock star who was just like everyone else. I didn't like you very much, you were rude and made me feel uncomfortable within the first minute I spent with you."

Yeah, this wasn't making him feel better at all.

"But then things started to change. You stood up for me, something no one else has ever really done, and I didn't really know what to think about that. I've had my freak outs with you, but you've stood by me throughout them all and have showed me one thing time and time again. You aren't like everyone else," she said, "you're one of a kind."

She paused for a moment, seemingly at a loss for words. "What are you saying, Buff?" He asked.

"I'm saying that I want to try this out." She said quickly. "I know I've been awful and insecure, and I know you're leaving soon, but I can't let you leave on that tour without giving us a chance."

An almost unbelieving look appeared in his eyes and a crooked smile lifted his lips, shaking his head as he gazed at her. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, what she was finally saying. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

She nodded slightly, smile beginning to show on her lips as well. "I am." She said.

Without a warning, Spike crashed his lips in to hers, using his IV-less arm to pull her as close to him as possible. She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back with just as much passion as he was giving her. He pulled back slightly, eyes still closed as he rested his forehead against hers.

"When I get out of here," he said quietly, "I'm taking you out on a date."

She let out a small laugh. "I can't wait."

"Believe me, baby," he said as his cocky grin graced his face, "it'll be a night you'll never forget."

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The day had gone by moderately quickly. Buffy and Spike had spent their entire day watching television as they cuddled in bed together. It wasn't long after breakfast that Dr. Burkle came in and removed the heart rate monitor and pulse ox from his body, much to the relief of everyone in the room. Xander had stopped by before being discharged from the hospital, but soon left to go home and get some real sleep. It was now nearing five o'clock and the dinner trays had just been brought in to the room by one of the nurses that Fred had trusted. They were nothing spectacular, a simple meal of chicken, mashed potatoes, and some corn, but they made the best of it.

"I'm telling you," Spike said as he shoved another piece of his chicken in to his mouth, "riding in the elevator with Gary Busey was more terrifying than getting shot."

"A gun can kill you." Buffy said, taking a bite of her mashed potatoes.

"So can Gary Busey." He retorted.

"Oh, the Gary Busey elevator story?" Oz said as he and Willow walked in to the room. "It's a classic."

"Hey guys." Buffy greeted, standing up from where she sat cross legged on the bed across from Spike. She walked over to Willow, enveloping her in a hug.

"I brought you some clothes and makeup and stuff." Willow said, handing her a small duffel bag that she had packed for her.

"Thanks, Wills." Buffy said, grabbing the bag and throwing it over her arm.

"Anya and Giles are busy taking care of the paparazzi parade but they told me to tell you they were thinking about you." Oz said to Spike.

"I'm all for anything that keeps those sodding pillocks away from me." Spike said, taking another bite of his food.

Buffy turned and looked back to Spike. "I'm going to go take a shower and change out of these clothes."

Spike nodded. "Take your time, luv." He said. Willow and Oz watched as Buffy walked back over to the bed, giving Spike a quick kiss before walking in to the bathroom. Spike glanced over at the two redheads who were staring at him in shock. "What?"

"What the hell was that?" Oz asked.

Spike smiled, glancing at Willow and seeing her eyes light up with realization. "Oh, my God!" Willow said excitedly. "You guys are together now aren't you?"

Spike chuckled. "She told me she wanted to give us a shot."

"I'm pretty sure you've already got one." Oz said, glancing down at Spike's abdomen.

Spike shook his head and turned his attention back to Willow. "I need your help, Red." He said.

"With what?" She asked.

"When I get out of here, I want to take her out on the best date of her life, something that'll make her smile every time she thinks about it." He explained.

Willow smiled, he came to the right girl.

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"Glitter, love it or hate it?" Buffy asked as the next question in their rousing game of Love It or Hate It. She was sitting between Spike's legs on the bed, one arm resting on his bent knee as Willow sat on Oz's lap in the chair from hell.

"That's an awful one." Spike said.

"Why?" Buffy asked, looking beside her at the head resting on her shoulder.

"If used the right way it can be sexy as hell and that's when I love it," he said, "but I hate how if you come within a ten foot radius of it, it will stick with you for the rest of your bloody life."

"And there's the beauty of the game," Willow said, "you can't say you kind of like it, it's either love it or hate it."

Spike thought for a moment, not sure if the good outweighed the bad or not. "Answer the question, Spikey." Oz said.

Everyone waited, looking at him with expectant eyes. He took a few more seconds to consider, this game had become a lot more serious than it had originally been. Every question was mused over with as much thought as Buffy and Willow used in their Philosophy class.

"Love." He finally answered.

"What?"

"Are you serious?"

"Those things never get off of your skin."

Everyone said at once, practically yelling in disagreement with him. "Hey, hey, hey, it's my answer and I'm sticking with it!" He yelled.

"Is everything okay in here?" Dr. Burkle said as she walked in to the room.

"Dr. Burkle!" Oz yelled.

"Love!" The entire group answered at once.

Dr. Burkle looked around the room, not quite sure what was going on or why her name was just called out. "It's a game," Buffy explained, "one of us say something and the rest have to say that we either love it or hate it. There's no 'I kind of like it' or anything like that. Willow and I have been playing it for years."

Dr. Burkle smiled, walking over to Spike's IV and adjusting the speed. "I'm just going to slow this down a little bit, the dehydration caused by the surgery has improved significantly." She explained.

"When can the IV be taken out?" Buffy asked.

"We'll want to keep it in until he is discharged, just as a precaution." She explained.

"When do you think that will be?" Spike asked.

"As long as everything stays normal and no signs of complications arise, I'd say tomorrow morning." She answered.

"Hey, that's great!" Willow said.

Buffy looked back at Spike and smiled, a gesture he returned. "Thank God," he said, "one more day stuck in this bed and I'd go mad."

"That train has left the station." Oz said quietly.

Dr. Burkle smiled, turning back to the group from the IV and putting a hand on Spike's shoulder. "I'll see you in the morning, Mr. Pratt." She said before walking out of the room.

Willow sighed. "We should probably get going." She said standing up.

"Yeah," Oz said following her lead, "it's getting late."

Buffy looked over at the clock, it was already nearing eleven. She stood up and walked over to her friends, giving them each a hug as they got ready to leave. "Thanks for stopping by."

"We'll be back in the morning." Oz said.

"Unless you need us before then, if you do just call." Willow said quickly.

Buffy smiled. "Thanks guys, we'll see you in the morning."

"Later, Spike!" Oz called as Willow waved from the door. Spike gave them a short wave and then they were on their way, closing the door behind them. Buffy moved over to the cabinets, grabbing a new pillow and blanket before making her way back over to the chair. She unfolded the blanket and threw it over the chair before putting the pillow on the headrest.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Spike asked, cocking his head to the side and folding his arms over his chest.

"Setting up the chair." She answered.

"No," he said shaking his head, "you're not sleeping on that thing. Get in here."

Buffy glanced from him to the bed and back again, it would be much more comfortable than the chair. "Are you sure?" She asked.

"Wouldn't be offering if I wasn't." He said patting the space next to him. "I'll be a perfect gentleman, Buff, I can promise you that, but if you don't get in this bed right now I will get up and carry you over here myself."

Buffy laughed. "No you won't."

"Oh yeah?" He asked. "Call my bluff."

Instead of arguing over something that they both wanted, Buffy made her way back over to the bed, sliding in beside him. She laid down facing away from him, not being able to contain her smile when his arm snaked around waist and pulled her close. Her body molded against his, fitting him perfectly as she laced her fingers with his. He kissed the back of her neck softly as he whispered a goodnight. This was perfection.

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**Thoughts? Reviews are wonderful! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"You'll need to change the bandages at least twice a day," Fred said as she gently removed Spike's IV, "I would suggest doing it first thing in the morning, and before dinner at night. I've filled you a prescription for Hydrocodone which you can take every six to eight hours as needed."

Spike nodded as she put a bandage over the small hole in his arm. He was finally back in his own clothes and the sight couldn't have made Buffy any happier. The hospital garb he had been sporting for the past two days had done nothing but make him seem more injured somehow. He wasn't himself and the sight of him in sweat pants and a white t-shirt was unsettling to her. "And the stitches?" He asked.

"You'll need to come back in about a week to get them removed. I've gone ahead and scheduled you in with me on Monday, but if you can't make it just give me a call." She said as she removed her gloves.

"Monday'll be fine." He said, quickly looking over at Buffy who was listening intently to the doctors instructions and sitting in the hell chair. Willow and Oz stood over by the door, holding hands and giving their full attention to Fred as well.

Fred grabbed a packet of papers and handed it to him. "These are your discharge papers and detailed care instructions as well as some information on Hydrocodone." She turned to Buffy. "You said you were a college student so I went ahead and put some notes in there to excuse you from work and school for the past few days."

Buffy smiled. "Thank you."

"No problem, and remember if you feel any pressure or severe pain in your head or neck, be sure to give me a call." She said.

She nodded. "I will."

Fred smiled and quickly turned her eyes back to Spike. "Alright then, Mr. Pratt, I will see you again on Monday."

Spike nodded shortly and stood, extending his hand to her. "Thanks, Doc." He said.

Fred met his hand with hers and shook it firmly. "No problem at all, Mr. Pratt. I'll let security know that you're on your way out." With that, she left the room, leaving the door open behind her.

Spike looked over at Oz. "Where's the car?" He asked.

"It's in the parking garage, we're gonna pull it around the back, you get to be smuggled out the way the funeral homes get their bodies." Oz said before fishing in his pocket for something. When his hand finally reemerged, he held a long ball and chain necklace out to Spike, a bullet was hanging from it and Buffy really hoped it wasn't what she thought it was.

"What's this?" Spike asked.

Oz shrugged. "Just a present from Will and me," he said, "that's the bullet they dug out of your rib."

Spike raised his eyebrow, a surprising feat with the stitches still in it. "You serious?"

Willow nodded. "Yeah, Oz asked Dr. Burkle if we could have it and she got it for us."

Spike chuckled and, much to Buffy's surprise, undid the clasp and put the necklace around his neck. She didn't say anything, truthfully it wasn't too far out of character for Spike to wear the very thing that could have killed him as a souvenir around his neck.

"We're going to go get the car." Oz said.

Spike nodded. "Be quick, the second those vultures hear that I'm on the move they'll be flocking to all exits."

Oz nodded. "Welcome to stardom, be ready to run."

He and Willow made their way from the room and were soon out of sight. Spike stood slowly, grabbing his custom leather jacket and putting one of his arms through it. Buffy watched as he struggled to put his other arm in the hole, but after a few moments he was met with success. He tried to raise it to it's proper place over his shoulders, but as he attempted to raise his arms he was met with a sharp pain in his abdomen where his stitches were. Buffy was at his side in an instant, grabbing hold of the collar of his jacket and gently pulling it up.

His blue eyes met her green ones and she could see the aggravation in them. She knew it wasn't at her, but at the situation and his inability to do this simple task on his own. She put a hand on his cheek and pulled his face to hers, placing a gently kiss on his lips. "It won't be forever." She said.

His lips twitched in to a small smirk before he lowered them to hers again, it was the moments like these that filled him with hope for them, when he thought that they would make it through the monster that was his next tour. He wasn't an idiot, he knew it was going to be hard for her and as much as he wanted her to wait for him, he knew that the decision was going to be entirely up to her. The thought of not having her, of her deciding not to be with him, was a tough one to take, even harder knowing that it was a very real possibility, but he also knew that he was going to do everything within his power to convince her otherwise.

He pulled back and kissed the tip of her nose before looking in to her eyes, the arm on his good side wrapping around her small body. "You gonna stay with me today?" He asked.

Buffy smiled. "Do you want me to?"

Spike nodded, "Uh huh," he said leaning his head back down and kissing her again, "you know I do."

Buffy moved her hands to his chest, lightly pushing him away. "We've got to go, they're probably waiting."

Spike pouted, pulling her back. "Let them wait, haven't been out of that bed in almost two days and I want to kiss my Buffy baby."

"Buffy baby?" She asked laughing.

He smiled, nodding head and kissing her again. "Don't go making fun of me, my girlfriend needs a pet name."

A swell of excitement ran through her body as the word girlfriend fell from his lips. "And Buffy baby is the best you can come up with?" She asked.

"Hey, give me a break, wounded here." He said as his cell phone went off in his pocket. He quickly pulled it out and did what Buffy assumed was checking a text before shoving it back in his pocket. "They're at the door, come on."

He took her by the hand and led her through the doorway and in to the hall. There was a security guard waiting at the nurses station who got up quickly as they approached.

"Mr. Pratt?" Spike nodded. "I'll be escorting you out, please follow me." They did as he said and were taken to the private elevator used by the doctors and nurses. The doors closed and the guard pressed the large "B" button, directing the elevator directly to the basement of the hospital. When the doors opened, the man led them to a door, opening it quickly and ushering them outside.

"Spike!"

"Spike Pratt!"

"Mr. Pratt!"

About ten mouths yelled out to Spike all at once, he didn't respond but he did quickly put his sunglasses on and throw his good arm around Buffy. He tilted his head down slightly and pulled her tightly against him in an almost protective motion.

"Is she your girlfriend?"

"How long have the two of you been together?"

"We've heard that you took a bullet for her, is this true?"

Spike rushed them to the car, opening his broken back door for her and pushing her inside before him. He quickly got inside and Oz took no time in fleeing the scene, leaving the paparazzi mob behind them with nothing but a good amount of exhaust in their wake. Spike buckled his seat belt before taking Buffy's hand back in his, taking his sunglasses off and looking at her in an apologetic way.

"Sorry about that." He said. Buffy shrugged, in all honesty she had expected it to be much worse.

She looked forward and noticed something strange. "Will, are you wearing sunglasses?" She asked.

Willow smiled brightly, nodding her head. "Yeah, Oz bought them for me. Do you like them?"

Buffy nodded, Willow wasn't the usual sunglasses type but they did look cute on her. "They look really good."

"You should get a pair," Willow said, "they really help when the paparazzi is taking your picture all the time."

Spike leaned over, his lips almost touching her ear. "I'll buy you a pair, they'll be your best friend before you know it."

"You don't have to do that." She whispered back.

Spike chuckled. "Just shut up and let me spoil you. Speaking of spoiled," he turned his attention to Oz, "this is the only time you are to drive my car, mate, got it?"

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Buffy and Spike sat in his living room on the couch many hours later, near empty Chinese food containers littering the table as their drinks stood half full next to them. They had had a nice and calm day, spending most of it on the couch watching random television game shows, playing along and having their own little competitions. They were sitting next to one another, Buffy with a Nintendo 64 controller in her hand as Spike tried to instruct her through the very basic level of some random video game he had put in.

"You have to jump over that," he said, "push A."

"I'm pushing A." She said hitting the big blue button.

"Push it twice, double tap." He instructed.

She did as she was told and her little man jumped over a boulder. She ran her character in to a cave and was met with a ton of turtle shells shooting at her. Even through her attempts at jumping over them, she was quickly killed and the black 'Game Over' screen took over the television.

"Buffy." Spike said disappointingly.

"I'm done playing this game." She said as she sat the controller down, clearly annoyed by her utter failure at the simple game. She leaned back against the couch cushions, glancing over at Spike's abdomen. "Isn't it time to change your bandages?"

"I guess it is." He grabbed the large roll of gauze that Dr. Burkle had given them, holding it out to Buffy. "You mind, luv?" He asked.

Buffy took the gauze and moved slightly closer to him as he pulled his button front flannel shirt off. His body was amazing, perfect shoulders, pecs, and abs that looked as if they had been carved from stone. She moved her hands to where the gauze roll ended and gently pulled the tape off. He raised his arms slightly as Buffy began to remove the bandaging, sitting next to him and moving her arms around him to hold on to the gauze. When she got to the end, the bullet hole was still covered, but only by a couple of pieces of medical tape that was being used to hold the skin close together to let it heal. She could still see most of it, the thin line made more obvious by the bloody scabbing stuck inside of it, and she felt her heart leap to her throat at the sight of it.

"You okay?" Spike asked.

She looked up and noticed that instead of looking down at her, he was staring straight across the living room. It was obvious to her that he didn't want to look at the wound, and she really couldn't blame him. "I'm fine." She said. She took the old gauze and threw it in the trashcan before placing the end of the new set against his skin. She wrapped the first layer around and pulled it just tight enough so that it wouldn't fall down. She led the roll around him three more times before putting a piece of tape on the end, effectively keeping it in place. She put her materials down and gave him a quick smile. "All done."

He put his shirt back on with a little difficulty before sitting back down next to her. "Thank you."

"No problem." She said. He put an arm around her as changed the channel to a random episode of Futurama. Buffy cuddled in closer to him and watched the show happily by his side. Before she knew it, though, the show ended and she glanced at the clock on the cable box by the television, it was already nearing ten o'clock. "It's getting late."

"You don't have to go," he said, "there's plenty of room here, ya know, mi casa es su casa."

She sighed, he obviously didn't want her to go, and she really didn't want to either, but she had to. "I have class in the morning."

Spike nodded, he wasn't exactly thrilled that she had to leave, but he wasn't going to put up a fight.

"Walk you to the door?" He asked. Buffy nodded and the two made the short walk to his front door. He had wanted to walk her all the way out but she insisted that she could see herself out and that he shouldn't be doing any unnecessary activity.

He closed the door behind her, locking it quickly before returning to the living room. He clicked the television off and made his way to the bathroom, going about his nightly routine the best he could. As he brushed his teeth, the small pill bottle on the counter caught his attention. He spit the toothpaste in to the sink as he stared at the pill bottle with an icy gaze. He took a deep breath as he tapped his long fingers against the counter, focused completely on the pills to his side. He quickly swung his arm to the side, grabbing the bottle and opening it quickly. Almost without thinking, he dumped the pills in to the toilet, quickly flushing it and leaving the bathroom for good.

He made his way in to his bedroom, changing in to a pair of red and black checkered flannel pajama pants. He took his shirt off slowly and opted out of putting another on, deciding it was far too much effort when he would just be going to sleep anyway. Just as he was pulling the covers back on his bed, the doorbell rang. He thought momentarily about ignoring it, but something in his gut was telling him not to. He walked back in to the living room and over to the door, pulling the door open just enough to allow his body to fit through it. When he saw who was standing there, he was completely taken aback.

"Buffy?" He asked.

"This is going to sound really stupid," she said as she stood in the hallway, arms crossed over her chest as she bit gently at her lip, clearly embarrassed, "I made it half way down the block and I..." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and cleared her throat. "There was this guy at the bus stop, and I just couldn't, something didn't feel right, so I was wondering," she paused, "I was wondering if that invitation from earlier was still good."

Realization dawned on him quickly and he instantly wanted to kick himself in the ass. He had sent her on her way in the dark two days after a gun was stuck in her face. She had seen him get shot and he should have known that walking to a bus stop at night was a bad idea so soon after an ordeal like that.

His lips twitched in to a small, sympathetic smile as he pushed the door open. "Come on in, luv, doors always open for you."

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Buffy awoke a few hours later to the feeling of motion in the bed next to her. She glanced at the clock on Spike's nightstand, it was almost three in the morning. She turned tiredly to see what he was doing next to her, but when she saw the look of pain that was strewn across his face she really wished that she hadn't.

"Spike," she said groggily, "what's wrong?"

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and clenching his teeth. "Nothing," he said, "go back to sleep."

Buffy shifted, sitting up in the bed. "It's obviously not nothing, have you even slept at all?"

"No," he answered, "but I'm fine, just a bit of pain. Don't worry your pretty little head about it."

Buffy threw the blanket off of herself and went to stand up. "You need to take your pain killers."

"No." He said sternly, a quick moving hand reaching out and wrapping around her wrist. She turned back and looked at him, his eyes were set on her with a look of cold seriousness in their depths.

"Spike?"

"I said no." He ground out through gritted teeth. He closed his eyes and took a deep painful breath, something that seemed to calm him, even if it was just a little bit. When he opened his eyes again, Buffy was looking at him, confusion evident on every one of her features. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to snap at you," he said, "but no pills."

"But if you're in pain-"

"Buff, please," he said quietly, "I can't take them."

"Why not? They'll help you, you need to get some sleep or you'll never heal." She explained.

"I don't have them anymore." He said quickly.

Buffy cocked her head to the side, furrowing her brows as even deeper confusion set in. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the fact that I flushed the little buggers down the bloody toilet." He said.

Every single sentence out of his mouth was raising more and more questions in her mind. "Why did you do that?"

Spike sighed. "Come here," he said extending his arm to the side and motioning for her to lay back down next to him, "it's a long story so you might want to get comfortable." Buffy didn't ask anymore questions, she simply did as he wanted and rested her body next to his. "Nobody really knows this, it's a bit personal." He said.

"You know I wouldn't tell anyone anything." She said.

"I know," he said, "that's why I'm telling you." He took a moment, trying to figure out where to start. "When I was young I lived in London with my mum and dad. A few months before my eighth birthday, my dad was killed by a drunk driver. The guy just hopped the curb and hit my dad head on, he lasted almost a day in the hospital before he died and my mum took it incredibly hard. It wasn't too bad at first, she knew she still had to take care of me, but I could hear her crying in her room every night."

Buffy didn't say a word, she just sat and listened intently with open ears and a tender heart. She could tell that this was hard for him, even worse with the added bonus of the painful gunshot wound in his abdomen, and Buffy was determined to let him say his piece without any interruption.

"One day when we were at the park, I fell from the swing or something and broke my arm so of course the hospital gave me some type of pain killers. Somehow she ended up taking one, and one turned in to two, and then three and so on. Eventually she just shut down, she couldn't do anything unless she had her pills. I was only eight, I had no idea what was going on. I ended up getting myself up and walking to school every day because she would always be passed out on the couch or out trying to score more pills. Teachers started noticing that I'd wear the same clothes for weeks at a time and eventually someone figured it out and told my mum's sister what was going on.

"I came home from school one day and my aunt was there with four other men, all of them were standing around my mother who was screaming and crying and doing anything she could to get away from them. My aunt noticed me after a few minutes and took me outside and put me in her car. I saw the men taking my mother out of the house and put her in to a van while she was still screaming and crying like a sodding banshee, it was awful. I ended up living with my aunt in London for two more years before she decided to move to L.A. I hated my aunt, never forgave her for what I thought she did to my mum, and I think she hated me, too. She'd spoil the hell out of her kids, and all I'd get were the hand me downs and leftovers. They weren't my family, they were just some people who happened to live in the same house. My room was just a tiny bed in the basement next to the washer and dryer, they called me their cellar dweller.

"I met Oz and Clem when I started school here and we were quick friends. When I was fifteen the chit kicked me out of the house when she found her kids pot and he blamed it on me. For three years I'd go back and forth between Clem's house and Oz's, they'd sneak me in at night just so I could have a place to sleep that wasn't a sidewalk or a park bench. When I turned 18 I had finally saved up enough money through odd jobs and things like that to move in to this apartment and I've been on my own ever since."

"What about your mother?" Buffy asked.

He sighed again. "About four years ago I got a call from a hospital in London. Apparently she had committed suicide by throwing herself out of a window."

"God, Spike," Buffy said quietly, "I'm so sorry."

He shrugged. "Not your fault, I'm used to it, really. I've got my band and they're more of a family than I've ever had before. The only time it gets to me is on holidays, gets lonely when everyone else is off with their family and you've got none."

Buffy nodded, understanding what he meant. She had a family, that much was true, but she never really felt that great of a connection to any of them but Dawn. There had been multiple times that she had elected to stay at the school during holiday breaks as opposed to going home and she knew how lonely and upsetting it could get. Suddenly, a thought popped in to Buffy's head.

"What would you say if I invited you to Thanksgiving with my family?" She asked.

Spike pulled away from her, just enough to look down at her face. "You want me to meet your folks?" He asked.

She shrugged. "Well, yeah," she said, "I mean it is next week and I know how much it can suck to be alone on a holiday. I mean, you can totally say no if you want to, I won't be offended."

"Would your mum mind?" Spike asked.

Buffy shook her head. "No, she's always trying to get me to invite Willow over during breaks."

"And your dad?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Honestly, Buffy had no idea how he would react, especially after the entire pictures fiasco. "Maybe meeting you would make him feel better about the pictures and whatnot, there's bound to be more out there at one point or another and if he meets you he might not get so upset next time."

"True." Spike agreed quietly, "Alright, I'm in."

Buffy smiled widely. "You are?"

"Yeah," he said, "Thanksgiving at the Summers household, what could be better?"

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"Aren't you ready yet?" Spike called toward the bathroom where Buffy was currently getting ready for class. He was leaning against the island in his kitchen eating a random pudding cup he had found in the fridge. When he had awoken that morning, he had almost thought that his admission and her invitation had all been an incredibly realistic dream, but when he found that her small body was, again, curled up next to his he knew it had all been very real.

The bathroom door opened and a perky Buffy waltzed through it. "It takes a little more effort for girls to get ready in the morning, we can't just throw some gel in our hair and be on our way like someone else in this room... who is currently eating pudding for breakfast. Isn't breakfast a little early for pudding?"

Spike shook his head, removing the spoon from his mouth as he worked on his current glob of chocolate goodness. "Never too early for pudding." He looked her over, she was wearing a simple outfit of dark blue jeans and a black tank top, pulled together by a light gray unbuttoned sweater and her characteristic boots. "You look nice, pet."

Buffy scoffed, walking across the room and grabbing her bad. "Please, I'm wearing the same clothes Willow brought me to the hospital two days ago and I don't even have my normal makeup."

"Oh, shut your gob." He said throwing his pudding cup in the trash and making his way across the room and over to her. He pulled her in to his arms, careful to keep her away from his wound, and held her tightly about the waist. "You're a right fit bird no matter what and somewhere in that head of yours you know it."

Buffy smiled slightly, reaching up to him on her tiptoes and landing a short kiss to his lips. "Come on," she said, "if we don't leave now I'll be late for class."

"As you wish." He smiled, leaning down and kissing her one last time before releasing her and moving toward the front door.

The ride to Roth was spent with the windows down and music blaring from the speakers. Buffy loved the feeling of the wind running through her hair as Spike sang along with the music on the radio and moved his hands in time with the beat of the drums against the steering wheel. When they stopped at a red light and Buffy noticed the stares they were getting from the people in the car next to them, she merely pushed her hair out of her face and turned to Spike, giving him a true smile and reaching over to take one of his hands in hers.

When they arrived at Roth University, Buffy directed him to the building where her first class of the day would be held and he happily navigated through the small one way roads of the campus. When they pulled up to the building, he turned the music down and put the car in park.

"Thanks for the ride." She said with a smile.

"Anytime, pet," he said leaning his head against the back of his black leather seat, "I'd do this every morning if it meant waking up next to you each day." The slight blush that kissed her cheeks was quickly hidden when she moved her hand to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. He smiled, the fact that he could get that reaction from her with just his words a complete ego boost for him.

She opened the car door. "I'd better get inside, class starts in five minutes."

"Buff," his quiet voice stopped her and she looked back at him, "remember what I said in the hospital, that I was gonna take you out when I got out of there?"

Buffy nodded. "Of course I do."

"How bout Friday?" He asked.

Buffy's eyes widened. "You mean tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're feeling up to that?"

He chuckled. "I'm a fighter, baby, nothings gonna keep me from giving you the night of your life."

Buffy smiled, her heart doing back flips in her chest. "Clem's asked us all to come in for a meeting at noon, but after that I'm free."

Spike smiled. "Good," he said, "I'll see you tomorrow then."

She smiled. "Tomorrow."

He glanced around quickly, relieved to see that no one had gotten particularly nosy about them, before leaning toward her over the center console of the car. "Come here, pet, one more for the road."

She laughed softly before leaning in, meeting her lips to his. "I'll call you later, okay?" She asked.

He nodded slowly. "Have a good day at school, learn all kinds of fun things and all that jazz, yeah?"

Buffy laughed. "Goodbye, Spike." With that, she stepped out of the car and on to the sidewalk, making her way up to the building without looking back. She had to do something to hide the giddy, school girl smile that she couldn't seem to wash from her face.

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**Sorry for the wait my loves, I was on a trip for a while and didn't have the chance to update. I'm in the writing mood today, though, because of the Buffy marathon on right now so I will probably keep writing more tonight. I hope everyone enjoyed this and yes, the next chapter will be the date.**

**I've noticed that I've gained a few readers over the past few days so I thought I'd take a moment to stop and say welcome to my new friends in the Spuffyverse. Hiiiiiii! :)**

**I have also started a youtube channel which I will be adding all of the songs I mention in this fic to in my The Shadow Gallery playlist. If you'd like to see it, just go to youtube. Com / viciousrejects13 .**

Thanks for reading! Please, please review? :)

Love & Lust,  
-T.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks to ACeH-aH for her... um... "advice". Trust me when I tell you that she made this chapter what it will be. Lol. I hope you all are enjoying the spuffyness, enjoy it while it lasts because Spike will be going on tour in the near future.**

**Chapter 10.**

Buffy walked up to The Shadow Gallery with a little bit of hesitance. She knew that it was probably ridiculous, but she figured a little bit of fear about going back in to the place where just a few days ago her boyfriend had been shot was a normal thing to expect. She glanced around as the gentle wind blew her hair to the side, almost as if someone out there was trying to calm her nerves.

"You, too, huh?" She glanced to her side and was surprised to see Xander standing there, hands stuck deep inside his pockets. "It's like, I know he's not in there, but it's still creeping me out."

Buffy nodded. "I know what you mean."

Xander held a hand out to her. "Might be easier if we do it together."

Buffy nodded, placing her hand in his and grasping it tightly. Without another word, the two walked in to the place where they had worked for the past couple of years with more anxiety running through their veins than had been there on their first day. When they walked through the doors they were both equally as surprised by how much everything looked exactly the same as it had before the shooting. Someone had definitely been inside cleaning everything up and if they hadn't been there, they never would have known what had happened.

"Hey guys!" Clem called from the bar. Sometimes Buffy really thought Clem was some sort of robot or something, he was never the least bit unhappy.

"Hey, Clem." Xander answered as Buffy took off her jacket and placed it in the employee closet. "Are we the first ones here?"

"No," Clem said, "everyone else is in the break room. We were just waiting for you two. You okay, Buffy?"

The sound of her name pulled her out of her own mind, which was currently wandering over to the hallway where most of the action had gone down. She whipped her head around and plastered a fake smile on her face. "I'm fine, let's get this done."

Clem nodded and moved to get the rest of the crew while Buffy walked over to one of the tables near the stage, the typical meeting protocol at The Shadow Gallery. Xander sat next to her and it was like an unspoken agreement that the other two chairs at the high top were intended for Cordelia and Faith. When everyone had finally piled in to the bar area Clem jumped up on the stage, tapping the microphone a few times to make sure that it was on.

"Hello? Can you hear me?" Clem asked.

"We can hear you, Clem!" Xander called.

Clem nodded, glancing around the room. "Obviously you all know about what happened here the other night, I'll start off by telling you that everyone is fine, but the gunman is still at large. The police say that he shouldn't be coming back here, but they have suggested that we start using the buddy system when we leave here at night."

"What about Spike Pratt?" One of the waitresses asked from the back of the room.

Clem looked at Buffy, she would know better than he would anyway. She cleared her throat and stood on the footrest of her chair. "Spike's fine, just a couple of stitches on his eyebrow and where he was shot. They said he'll be making a full recovery."

Everyone in the room began to clap, something that seemed a little bit strange but understandable nonetheless. She sat back down as Cordelia gave her a gentle, comforting pat on the hand.

"Thank you, Buffy." Clem said into the microphone. "I wanted to hold this meeting today to let you all know that we will be reopening and you all still have jobs." One of the waiters let out a loud 'woot woot', making Clem smile despite his attempt not to. "Before I made any concrete decisions I wanted to run an idea by everyone and make sure that you all were okay with it." Clem explained as he pulled a small planner out of his pocket. "Next week is Thanksgiving and I know most of you had requested off for that anyway, so I was thinking we could stay closed throughout the next week."

Scattered mumbles of agreement rang out through the bar and when no one objected, Buffy could tell how relieved Clem was.

"I have been talking to Mr. Giles and Ms. Jenkins," Clem said, "and they suggested that Flesh of the Passions kick off their tour the way they ended it, with a small show here on November 30th to show that there are no hard feelings and to kick business back to what it was before the, uh, incident." Again, everyone in the room started speaking again, but all in happy tones. Clem smiled again, incredibly grateful for his employees cooperation in the matter.

The meeting ended a few minutes later, Clem had told them to call him in a week for their schedules and everyone began to make their way out of the bar. Buffy, Xander, Cordelia, and Faith all walked together to the front of the bar planning to get their jackets and be on their way. When Buffy grabbed hers, though, she noticed a folded piece of paper pinned to it.

"What is that?" Cordelia asked as she noticed it.

"I don't know." Buffy said, removing the pin from her jacket and taking the note in to her hand.

_Buffy,_

_You, pet, are full of surprises. What do you say that for one night you let the surprises come to you? Head back to your dorm and do as Willow says. Trust me, baby, and this will be a night you'll never forget._

_See you soon._

"What's it say?" Xander asked from behind her.

Buffy smiled to herself as she shoved the note in her pocket. "I've got to go."

000000000000

"You need to hold still or I'm going to burn you." Willow said as she held a curling iron in her blonde hair.

"I'm sorry," Buffy said as she sat on the small bench in front of Willow's vanity, "I'm just excited."

"No," Willow said, "you're impatient. Every time I do your hair you start getting all squirmy after the first ten minutes."

"Well it would help if I could see what I look like, I'm dying here, Wills!" Buffy complained.

"You're not dying, you're perfectly fine and you're going to love it." Willow said as she released a strand of Buffy's hair from the hot iron. "There, I'm done. You can look now."

Buffy spun around quickly and had to admit that Willow had be right, she was incredibly happy with what she saw. Her hair was done in soft curls reaching down to her shoulders. Her makeup had been done with just a touch of eyeliner and shimmering golden eyeshadow. She looked very natural and, even she had to admit, very pretty.

"Wow, Wills," she said, "you really have talent when it comes to hair and makeup."

"You haven't even gotten to the best part yet." Willow said from behind her. Buffy spun around and saw Willow holding a long, black dress in her hands. The majority of the dress was a soft crepe material, but a large silk bow stretched from the top all the way past where he knees would be. There was a long slit up the side reaching from the bottom to just above her knee.

"Oh my, God." Buffy whispered as she felt her hand against the dress.

Willow laughed. "Come here, I'll help you put this on."

Buffy quickly slipped from her pajama pants that she had been wearing and pushed her tank top down her body so not to mess up her hair. She stepped in to the dress and let Willow pull it in to place. She watched in the full length mirror in front of her as Willow zipped her in, the dress clung to her curves perfectly and fit her like a glove. It was long enough to fall to the floor, but not so long that it would trip her when she tried to walk. This was without a doubt the most expensive thing she had ever worn, and she felt more beautiful and confident than ever before as she looked over herself in the mirror.

"Where could he possibly be taking me where I have to wear something like this?" Buffy asked no one in particular.

"Trust me," Willow said as she walked over to her bed, "you're going to love it."

Buffy cocked her head to the side, looking down at her friend who was kneeling on the floor. "You know don't you?" She asked.

"Duh," Willow said, "how else would I have gotten the dress and everything if I wasn't in on the plan?" Willow pulled a shoe box out from under her bed and quickly opened it, grabbing a small piece of paper from inside and handing it over to Buffy.

Buffy smiled, excited for her next little note. She unfolded the paper and greedily took in the words written on the page.

_Buffy,_

_I hope you feel as beautiful as I see you to be, the true picture of perfection in my every day life. There will be a car outside of your dorm at six o'clock. You'll say it's too much, but it's nothing more than you deserve._

_Can't wait to see you._

"He got a limo. Did he get a limo? If he got a limo..." Buffy said quickly.

Willow laughed. "I can't say anything, he'd kill me."

Buffy glanced over to the clock. "Oh my, God," Buffy said, "it's already 5:45!"

"And all you have to do is put your shoes and gloves on." Willow pointed out in a soothing way. She could tell Buffy was excited, she could also tell that she was a little bit nervous, and Willow couldn't have been happier for her friend. It had been so long since she had gone out on a real date and if anyone deserved to have a wonderful night with a man she cared for, it was her.

She handed the black heels to Buffy one by one as she sat back down on the small bench and slid them on to her feet. Buffy stood and looked herself over in the mirror. "How do I look?" She asked.

Willow smiled. "Amazing, he's going to freak when he sees you."

She smiled. "I hope so."

000000000000

Willow walked with Buffy through the commons area of the dorms and out of the front door of the building. When they stepped outside they were greeted by the sight of a black limo, driver waiting patiently next to the back passenger seat door.

"Miss Summers?" He asked.

"That's me." She said.

The man opened the door and held out a hand to her. Buffy glanced over at Willow, smiling brightly, before taking the girl in to her arms and giving her a quick, excited hug. She placed one of her hands, now covered by long satin gloves, in to the man's as he helped her get in to the limo. He closed the door behind her and Buffy was surprised to see a folded sheet of off white paper pinned on a black ribbon tied around the most beautiful red rose she had ever seen on the seat next to her. She took the rose in to her hand and gently removed the piece of paper, unfolding it to reveal the note written inside.

_Buffy,_

_Have a seat and relax, luv, you have a bit of a ride ahead of you. There are Bacardi Breezers in the mini-fridge, drink up or else the humiliation of being a man buying those fruity things will never be worth it. _

_Enjoy._

Buffy laughed, if she hadn't already known that Willow was in on this entire thing, this little bit would have made it obvious. She had had a secret love for these ridiculously fruity drinks ever since Willow had introduced her to them one night in their dorm. Willow was the only one who knew that these were her personal favorites, Xander would have ridiculed her for the rest of her life, and now Spike knew, too. She pulled a cranberry flavored one out of the mini-fridge, confused when she couldn't find a bottle opener anywhere.

"Excuse me," she called to the driver, "you wouldn't happen to have a bottle opener would you?"

The driver nodded. "It's sitting in the small console next to the glasses." He answered.

Buffy looked where he had said and found it quickly. "Thanks." Just then an idea popped in to her head. "Could you tell me where I'm going?" She asked.

The driver laughed. "Can't do that," he said, "I've been given strict orders to keep this a surprise."

Buffy nodded and sat back against the seat behind her, taking a sip of her drink and settling in for the ride.

000000000000

About forty five minutes later, the car finally came to a stop. The windows were darkly tinted to keep her from knowing where she was, something she was sure Spike had insisted on. Buffy looked at her reflection in the window and fixed her hair quickly, unnecessarily freshening up in a hurry. The door next to her opened and she took the hand offered to her without looking, assuming it had belonged to the driver. When she felt the fingers wrap around hers, though, she looked over and was slightly surprised to see Spike dipping his head in to the limo, giving her a dashing smile that she quickly returned.

He helped her out of the car quickly, waiting for her to get steady on her feet in her heels. She looked around her and was surprised to be in the middle of the city across the street from the Los Angeles Opera House. She had never been here before, it was far too expensive for her, but she had always wanted to see a show. Everywhere she looked there were limousines and people dressed in beautiful dresses and expensive suits and Buffy was surprised by how much she felt she fit in.

Butterflies welled up in the pit of her stomach as she turned her attention to the man holding on to her hand. "Hi." She said, completely at a loss for what to say and smiling from ear to ear.

"Hi." He said with a laugh, raising her hand to his lips and placing a soft kiss on the satin of the glove. "You look beautiful," he said, "drop dead knock out, you are."

She laughed, only then taking the chance to look him over. He was wearing an all black suit with a black and gray pinstripe button up shirt peeking out from under the jacket. He had decided against wearing a tie and the first button of his shirt was left undone allowing for just a bit of his chest to be exposed. His hair was slicked back and the stitches in his eyebrow somehow made him look all that more appealing in the formal wear, some part of that inner bad boy shining through in the small wound.

At the sight of her checking him out, his cocky smirk appeared on his face as he extended a bent arm to her, elbow first. "Shall we?" He asked. Buffy smile and tucked her hand in to the crook of his arm as he led her across the street to the large opera house.

When they got to the entrance, Buffy glanced over at the sign. "Phantom of the Opera?" She asked, sounding just like a little kid on Christmas.

Spike laughed, nodding as his own smile widened. "Little birdie told me it was your favorite."

"Little birdie was right," she said, "I've wanted to see this on stage since I was like twelve!"

"That's me for you," he said, "making all Buffy's dreams come true."

She smiled as they made their way inside. He led her to their seats, only a few rows from the stage and dead center. She was incredibly excited, almost to the point of being unable to sit still, and it was all thanks to him. They had apparently made it just in time and as the lights began to dim around them, Buffy reached over and placed a hand on the cheek furthest from her, pulling him gently to her and placing a light kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you." She whispered as she released his face and settled in to her seat.

He smiled and, without looking at her, reached over and laced his fingers with hers, putting them in the place they would stay for the entire show.

000000000000

"Did you like it?" Spike asked as the curtains closed and the applause began to die down after the curtain call.

Buffy turned to him, a bright smile on her face despite the tears welling up in her eyes at the tear jerking end to the production. "I loved it," she answered, "best date I've ever been on."

"Glad to hear it," he said before taking a quick sip of the soda he had bought during the intermission, "but this nights far from over."

Her eyes widened. "What?" She asked.

He laughed. "Can't take a girl like you to a show without treating her to dinner after." He stood quickly, offering her a hand. "Come on, luv, let's get out of here."

She put her hand in his and the pair walked out of the theater, hand in hand and happy as clams. As they walked outside and the breeze blew, goosebumps rose on Buffy's skin. Without missing a beat Spike shed his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

She smiled. "Thanks, should have brought a Shaw or something."

"No," he said shaking his head and wrinkling his nose, "those things are hideous. You look much more attractive in my clothes."

She laughed. "You would think that."

He smiled, his head twitched quickly to the side as he touched the tip of his tongue to the bottom of his front teeth as if to say 'yeah, you're right'. The limo pulled up and in true a chivalrous action, Spike opened the door for her and allowed her to climb inside before him. He followed her in quickly, shutting the door behind him, and saw her spinning the rose between her fingers.

"I really should have figured it out from this." She said.

"Probably." He said.

"So I guess there is no use in asking you where we're going next, right?" She asked.

"Right." He said with a quick nod.

She shook her head. "I don't typically like surprises."

"Bollocks." He said quickly. "Everyone likes surprises, just have to be the right kind."

"You sure you're not some sort of philosopher?" She asked.

"I'm sure, pet," he said, "just know a little something about people. Been around all kinds in my line of work."

"Including Gary Busey." She pointed out in a joking way.

His eyes widened in mock fear as he spoke. "Sodding Gary Busey." Buffy laughed. "What kind of wanker head bangs in an elevator?"

000000000000

Oh, my God." Buffy whispered as she stared at the large yacht in front of her. It was painted a shade of perfect white with windows tinted almost black. There were at least six floors to the ship and the entire thing was lit up in the most beautiful way against the dark night sky.

"It's the record company's yacht," Spike said quietly, "rented it out for the night. Willow told me how much you loved the water."

Buffy nodded. "I do," she said quietly, "my grandparents used to have a little place on the water that we'd go to every summer. I've never been on a yacht, though."

Spike smiled, putting a hand on the small of her back. "Well, let's change that then, yeah?"

She turned and looked in to his eyes, nothing but pure adoration shining from her own as she nodded silently. They walked up to the wooden stairway that had been brought up to the side of the ship and carefully climbed aboard. There was no one else in sight on the vessel, but Buffy knew that the captain had to be around somewhere. Deciding not to question it, she followed Spike over to one of the many decks on the ship and what she saw had her breath caught in her throat.

The deck was decorated with tiny string lights wrapping around every pole and draped along the way to the next. The shiny wooden floor reflected the light in a glowing way and there was a small table with a dark red cloth draped over it overlooking the water with two chairs sat on either side. Covered trays of food were already sat on the table as the lone candle set between them reflected its flame in their silver faces. There were long couches built in next to the railings of the ship along either side and a large empty space in the middle of the floor.

"Spike," she said in quiet awe, "did you do this all yourself?"

"Uh, yeah," he said in a deep whisper, "spent yesterday and a good deal of this morning on it."

She turned around to face him, tears welling up in her eyes again. "No one has ever done anything like this for me." She said.

He reached forward, taking her hands in his and looking straight in to her glowing emerald eyes. "You deserve the best, Buffy," he whispered, "and I'll be damned if I'm not gonna give it to you."

Neither said a word as the moment held between them. Spike pulled her toward the table, only letting go of her hands to pull her chair out before taking his own seat across from her. They each pulled the covers off of their meals as the boat began to move gracefully through the water. Buffy looked down at her plate and smiled when she realized it was one of her favorite meals from a small restaurant just outside of campus.

"You really just got all of my favorite things tonight, didn't you?" She said with a laugh.

He shrugged. "Wanted to make this your perfect night," he said, "had to have your favorite foods."

They ate together at a leisurely pace, talking quietly about everything and nothing as they did so. Buffy told Spike about the wonders and stories that were her home town of Sunnydale and Spike told his own that in some way tied in to hers. She told him about Dawn and her family, he told her things about his band mates and Clem. The food was great, but the company was greater still and neither of the two wanted the night to ever end.

"That was really good." Buffy said as she finished up the last bit of her food, wiping her mouth gingerly with the napkin at her side.

Spike smiled. "Good," he glanced over to the large couches that lined the railings of the deck, "wanna go sit by the water?"

She nodded and they both stood, carefully making their way over to the side of the boat as it continued through the water. Spike sat first, raising one leg up on to the couch and leaving the other to hang off of the edge, Buffy sat between them. He wrapped his arms around her as she rested her body against his. Unable to resist the temptation, he landed a gently kiss in her golden hair before resting his chin on her shoulder and turning his attention to the water below and the unending night sky before them. Buffy closed her eyes, loving the feeling of the air blowing through her hair and caressing her face. After about ten minutes, though, the yacht stopped in the place it would be until they were ready to head back to shore.

Spike let out a sigh as he laid backwards, staring up at the stars in the sky above him. He moved slightly to the side until he was up against the rail, one arm bent behind his head and extending the other to lay casually across the couch. He glanced up at Buffy who sat looking at him questioningly. "Well, don't just sit there are stare." He said.

Buffy took the invitation and laid down next to him, using his extended arm as a pillow as she joined him in gazing at the stars. "I haven't done this in forever." She said.

"Can't really see the stars in the city." Spike commented.

"That and I typically don't have the time to just sit back and relax. It's always either school, work, family, or some type of drama in one of those subjects." She explained quietly.

"I get that," he said, "I'm always on the go. Band practice, publicity things, interviews, always running from place to place. Hell, half the time I wake up not even knowing what city I'm in." He looked over at her next to him, not surprised when she sensed his gaze and glanced his way. "Not with you, though. When I'm with you, time just sort of stops and I can be me for a bit."

Buffy smiled slightly. "I know the feeling." Suddenly, slow music filled the air from the speakers around them. It was the orchestration to a song that Buffy seemed to recognize, but she couldn't put her finger on exactly what song it was.

Spike sat up slowly, running a hand through his hair before looking back at her, eyes almost pleading. "Dance with me?"

Buffy smiled. "Of course."

Spike moved over her, climbing off of the couch and offering her his arm. She took it and was quickly pulled from the couch to a standing position. He placed one arm around the small of her back as his other kept one of hers firmly in its grasp. Buffy moved her free hand to his shoulder as he gently swayed them to the music. Buffy rested her head against his chest and noticed that at one point or another, Spike had undone the second and third button on his shirt.

A new song started over the speakers. It was simply the orchestration again, but this one she could place quickly. Buffy felt the vibrations in Spike's chest as he sang the words to her quietly, almost as a whisper for only her ears to hear as he continued to lead her in the best dance of her life.

_The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful,  
Stop me and steal my breath.  
And emeralds from mountains thrust towards the sky,  
Never revealing their depth._

_And tell me that we belong together,_  
_Dress it up with the trappings of love._  
_I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips,_  
_Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above._

_And I'll be your cryin' shoulder,_  
_I'll be love's suicide ._  
_And I'll be better when I'm older,_  
_I'll be the greatest fan of your life._

_And rain falls angry on the tin roof,_  
_As we lie awake in my bed._  
_And you're my survival, you're my living proof,_  
_My love is alive, and not dead._

_And tell me that we belong together,_  
_Dress it up with the trappings of love._  
_I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips._  
_Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above._

_And I'll be your cryin' shoulder,_  
_I`ll be love's suicide._  
_And I'll be better when I'm older,_  
_I'll be the greatest fan of your life._

_And I dropped out, I burned up,_

_I fought my way back from the dead.  
I tuned in, I turned on, _

_remembered the thing that you said._

_And I'll be your cryin' shoulder,_  
_I'll be love's suicide._  
_And I'll be better when I'm older,_  
_I'll be the greatest fan of your life._

_The greatest fan of your life._

"You know," he whispered as the orchestration went on, "I was gonna sing this for you at the party."

Buffy laughed softly. "Was that my surprise?"

"For the most part," he said, "then I was going to ask you to be my girl, put you on the spot like the pompous ass that I am."

Buffy laughed, a bit louder this time. "I can see you doing that."

He chuckled. "You'd have gotten all shy and blushed the way I like so much, but at least I'd have gotten an answer out of you."

"You got your answer." She said.

"Yeah," he said, "suppose I did, just took a bullet to do it." He took a deep breath, releasing it slowly and Buffy could hear his heartbeat speed up in his chest. "Look at me, luv." He whispered. Buffy lifted her head and looked up to him, blue and green eyes becoming locked on one another as he held her just a little bit tighter.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Fine," he answered quietly, "bloody perfect right now, Buff." He said as he took another deep breath. "This has been such a great night, one of the best I've ever had."

Buffy smiled sweetly. "Me, too."

"I want to ask you something, Buffy, it's pretty important and it's something that's been on my mind for quite some time now." Buffy didn't say anything, she just kept her eyes locked on his and waited for whatever he had to say. "I know we haven't known each other long, and the time we've spent together has been quite the roller coaster," he said glancing away nervously down to his feet, "but the thought of me leaving and not having you to look forward to coming back to is enough to kill me, my chest tightens up just thinking about it and, well, what I'm trying to say is..." He took another deep breath, this time releasing it shakily before shooting his eyes back up to meet hers. "Will you wait for me, Buffy? I know I'm gonna be gone for a long time, and I know it's a lot to ask, but if you-"

He was cut off by her lips colliding with his in a crushing kiss as her hand moved to rest against his cheek. When she pulled back, Spike still had his eyes closed, almost in shock by her sudden aggressiveness. After a few moments, however, his eyelids fluttered open and she got a sight of the icy blues beneath.

"Of course I'll wait for you."

With a triumphant smile and a hand on the side of her neck, he pulled her back to him with a bit more force than what was normal for them. He took her bottom lip in to his mouth, sucking on it softly, begging her to open her mouth to him. When she did, he took no time in driving his tongue in to meet hers. She pulled back slightly before crashing back to him with just as much force and passion as the kiss had started with. His hand moved further upwards, meeting the bare skin of her mid back and pulling her closer to him. The need to breathe was the only thing that separated them, and only by a little bit as Spike leaned his forehead against hers while they both panted for breath.

He pulled her back to him but this time instead of finding her lips, his mouth went directly to her neck. She tilted her head to the side, granting him all the access he wanted to the sensitive flesh he found there. He could feel the goosebumps on her skin as his tongue darted out, licking a small trail up to just below her ear.

"Ah, Spike." She moaned, hand finding his hair as she clutched the gelled strands she found there in pleasure.

He pulled away and she turned her head to face him, attacking his lips with her own once more. Spike slowly moved them backwards, smiling just slightly as her back met the wall. He pressed his body against her own and extended a strong arm on either side of her, effectively surrounding her and keeping her just where he wanted as he continued the assault to her lips.

He soon moved his attention back to her neck, licking, kissing, and biting a trail from the base to her ear before pulling back. Half lidded eyes took in the small blonde before him, she looked so delicious with her lips pink and swollen and green eyes staring at him with just as much desire as he had radiating through his veins. With that one heated look he knew what she wanted even without the words being spoken, he knew that she wanted it just as much as he did.

"I can't get enough of you, Buff," he whispered as he found her lips in another quick kiss, "can't stop kissing you."

"Then don't." She whispered breathlessly.

Spike's eyes found hers, silently asking the question he couldn't find the words for. "You sure?"

She nodded, it was done quickly and without hesitation and with that he knew she was ready. His lips curled in to his devastatingly sexy smirk as he pulled her from the wall and and began walking toward the door, toward the bedroom beyond it. He stopped outside of it and fished for the key in his pocket, finding it quickly and opening the door with ease.

"Wish your car was that easy to get open." She said from her spot leaning against the wall to the side of the door, mischievous smirk on her face.

A grin appeared on his face as he glanced over at her. "You're gonna pay for that little statement, pet."

"Oh, yeah?" She asked.

Spike grabbed a hold of her wrist, pulling her quickly to him and against his chest. "Yeah."

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As soon as the door closed, all gloves were off as the two went at each other like animals and Buffy once again found herself between a wall and Spike's body. He attacked her lips with his own as she clumsily undid the buttons of his shirt, she hardly even noticed when his hand found the zipper of her dress. Within moments he had undone the small clasp and pulled down the long zipper. The dress fell gracefully to the floor, mixing together with Spike's shirt to begin a mound of discarded clothing. Buffy lifted her leg to remove her heels, but Spike had other ideas. His hand found the spot behind her knee and he made quick work of hiking it up around his waist.

"Let me take my heels off." She said.

"Leave em on." He whispered against her lips. Without giving her a chance to argue, he hooked his arm under her bottom and lifted her off of the floor. He carried her over to the bed, dropping her gently on to the soft mattress and finally taking the time to glance over her half naked form clad only in a matching black lace bra and panty set to go with the heels.

"Bloody fucking perfect." He muttered as his lips found her own again. Her head was swimming with thoughts of only Spike, nothing else mattered but the man above her currently lacing the fingers of his left hand with hers. His lips moved to her neck as his free hand moved from her waist, lightly trailing across her ribs and up to her breast, undoing the front clasp of the bra easily. Her body arched in to him as the combined sensations of his tongue running along her neck and his hand fondling her breast made her want him in a way she had never felt before.

"Spike, please." She whispered.

"What is is baby?" He asked as his hand moved from her breast down her body, cupping her between her legs and squeezing gently. "Is that what you want?"

"Ah, God, yes." She gasped, bucking her hips against his hand.

He chuckled softly as his hand began to caress her through the thin fabric of her underwear, loving the way her body was responding to him. He removed his hand from hers and began to kiss a trail from her neck, over her collarbone, between her breasts before stopping momentarily just below her belly button. "Love these." He said as he pulled the black lace thong from her body and throwing it to the floor.

Usually Buffy would have been nervous, she always had been any other time this particular action was about to take place, but not with Spike. She felt him give her opening one long lick from the bottom to top, her hips arching toward his face as he did so. He quickly sought out her clit and flicked his tongue against the tiny nub, loving the high pitched gasps he was getting from her as he did so. He pulled her closer to him and buried his face further between her legs as his skilled tongue worked its magic.

"Spike, ah, God." She said as her hand clenched at the fabric of the blanket beneath her. He smirked as he moved his tongue faster against her and she raised her hips from the bed in response. She met her release with a loud gasp, Spike's motions never stopping as she rode out her orgasm.

He quickly shed his pants as Buffy lay breathless on the bed before him. "Need you now, pet." He said as he climbed back up the bed. Before he had even gotten the chance to realize what was going on, he was suddenly on his back with Buffy hovering over top of him. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"Well, you do have those stitches in your stomach," she said with a sly smile on her face, "probably shouldn't be doing too much extra work."

Spike's lips lifted in to his character smirk, evil glint lighting his eye. "My little minx."

Buffy smiled as she threw a leg over his waist, straddling him in nothing but a pair of heels. Slowly, she eased herself on to his erect cock, throwing her head back at the sensation of him inside of her. He sat up quickly, feeling the need to be closer to her, and wrapped his arms around her back. Buffy bounced up and down on his lap, muscles tightening around his member as she quickened her pace. He held her tightly against him as they both let out small gasps of pure pleasure.

"You're amazing, Buff." He whispered, using his arms to quicken her pace. Within minutes he could feel the familiar build up as his head began to go fuzzy. "Buff, I'm gonna-"

"Me, too."

With an almost growl Spike met his release, spilling his seed inside of her as she met her own. The couple stayed still for a few moments, breathing heavily together as the sweat beaded down their skin. After a few moments, Buffy rolled off to the side and collapsed against the soft mattress as Spike followed in suit. He pulled her to him and she rested her head against his chest.

"That was amazing." Buffy whispered.

"You're telling me." He replied, long fingers playing with the ends of her long hair. He pulled the blanket that had been knocked off of the bed sometime during over them, pausing only to remove the heels he had insisted that she keep on. With a smile on her face and a new song brewing in his heart, the couple drifted off in to a light sleep as they basked in the feeling of their afterglow.

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**For the record, I have met Gary Busey multiple times at multiple conventions and I can say from first hand experience that the man is quite a character. Spike's elevator ride with him actually happened to my boyfriend and I. In my experience with Gary, being in a room with him will go one of two ways: he will either be a complete sweetheart and be incredibly nice, or he will randomly decide that he hates you and go totally mental. Sometimes he can even do both at once. I love Gary, always will, but he has provided me with multiple moments of pure comic gold which I have chosen to include in the story.**

**Your reviews make me so happy I could die. I'm so happy that people are actually enjoying this and I'm not just writing for my own health.**

**Review?**


	11. Chapter 11

**HAPPY NON-RAPTURE!**

**Apparently I've gone and ruined all guys for one of my favorite little reviewers, . In her words "Now any date I go on will be the equivalent of a hay ride in horse poo." I take this as one of the highest compliments I have ever received. **

**LithiumReaper (& all those who may be wondering), I can solemnly swear that this is not, was never, and will never be a break-up-make-up-break-up-make-up-break-up-make-up rinse & repeat story. I don't like those and refuse to ever write one. There will be issues that come up, just like in any real life relationship, but I won't turn this in to a toxic romance like some others I have seen. **

**This chapter is not at all what I had expected it to be, it completely wrote itself, I'm not even kidding. I didn't even mean to write half of it. It just happened and is a good bit longer than my other chapters, consider it a non-rapture present.**

**The song that managed to sneak its creepy little ass in to this chapter is called Bastards at the Gate by The Architects. They are an amazing band from Kansas City that I recently saw in concert and fell in love with. They are truly a great band and a lot of their songs may be making their way in to this story, they just feel like a Spike kind of band. **

**ACeH-aH, you may recognize a little bit of the dialogue in here from our recent messaging. You'll know it when you see it. :)**

**& now that I am done talking to everyone, here is...**

**Chapter 11**

Buffy awoke a few hours later with the feeling of euphoria still lingering all around her body. She turned over in the bed and was surprised when she saw that Spike was not there next to her. She glanced around the room and noticed that the door leading to the deck was open. She stood slowly, grabbing Spike's shirt off of the floor and wrapping it around herself before walking through the door.

The second she was outside she saw him standing across the way. He was leaning over the railing, wearing nothing but a pair of pants, smoking a cigarette as he looked out at the water. She quietly made her way over to him, bare feet softly patting against the wooden floor. Spike turned, sensing her approaching from behind him, and the sight of her caused a smile to grace his perfect lips.

"Well now, look at you." He said taking one last puff of his cigarette, exhaling the smoke over his shoulder before flicking the cigarette in to the water. Buffy laughed, running a hand through her now unruly hair as she reached the railing. "Told ya you looked good wearing my clothes."

Goosebumps appeared on her tanned skin and she shivered slightly to add a bit of a dramatic effect. "Too bad there's not more of it."

"I can do you one better than that."

He pulled her toward him, pinning her between the railing and his warm body and wrapping his arms around her as they both gazed out at the scene before them. Buffy took in a deep breath, she loved the way he smelled. It was a mixture of spices combined with cigarettes and something that was just so uniquely Spike she had no other way to explain it.

His hands found hers on the rail and she smiled as he sat them atop hers, squeezing gently as he landed a gentle kiss on the back of her head. The sky was turning a beautiful shade of purple as the sun slowly began to rise, the two lovers watching it in silent awe as they basked in the feeling of just being together.

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"And we stood out there watching the sunrise." Buffy said as she and Willow sipped their morning coffee on their way to class Monday morning.

"Oh my God, Buffy," Willow practically squealed, "that is so sweet! How did your mom react to hearing your bringing Spike over for Thanksgiving?"

"Well, Mom is okay with it, she's too nice not to be." She said as they walked in to their Philosophy classroom. "Dawn will be completely overjoyed at the thought of a celebrity hanging out at the house, something she can brag about to her friends, you know?"

"And your dad?" Willow asked as they took their seats.

Buffy shifted uncomfortably, a small shrug making its way through her shoulders. "I don't know. Maybe meeting him will get him to stop thinking that he's some punk kid trying to corrupt his first born. Hopefully his sister and my cousin being there will kind of distract him." She said.

"Maybe," Willow said with a laugh, "but he did make a pretty big deal of those pictures, and you guys weren't even dating then."

"I know," she said, "but I can hope, right?"

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"Stop touching it." Oz scorned as the three men of Flesh of the Passions sat in the makeup department of MTV Studios getting ready to be interviewed. Spike had gotten his stitches removed earlier in the morning and he just couldn't stop touching the mark that still stained his skin.

"Cant, sodding thing itches." He said as he tapped at it again.

He was in full game face, black eyeliner around his icy blues and hair stuck up in a chaotic, purely punk fashion. He was wearing a black Sex Pistols t-shirt with light blue jeans and a bondage belt wrapped around his waist. Instead of his usual dog tags and padlock, he chose to wear the bullet necklace that Oz and Willow had given him upon his release from the hospital, letting it fly solo to show off it's importance.

"So how'd that date with Buffy go?" Oz asked.

A genuinely happy smile appeared on his face as he averted his eyes from the mirror to his apparently interesting black painted finger nails.

"Woah, oh, oh!" Bob said excitedly. "Did Spikey take a little trip to pound town?"

"Watch it." Spike said warningly looking back up at Bob in his mirror.

"Come on, tell me you went toes to Jesus."

"Bob." He warned again.

"Did you play hide the salami?"

"I'm serious."

"Tell me you got up in them thighs!" Bob said as he made some obscene pelvic thrusts from his chair.

"Fuck off ya bloody git!" Spike yelled, jumping out of his chair and stalking over to Bob's.

"What?" Bob asked with an innocent look as Spike glared down at him. "I just wanted to know how you went about making the two backed beast."

Oz's laugh cut the tension like a knife and within seconds, all three men were laughing quietly in the small room. Spike didn't want to laugh, hell, he wanted to land a fist to his bandmate's face to defend his girlfriend's honor, but Bob's unending slur of slang sex terms was edging on hilarious. Spike walked back over to his chair, sitting back down and propping a foot up on the counter in front of him.

"Listen, mate," he said with a laugh still coating his voice, "what Buff and I do with out time together is our business. Not going to discuss it with you two like teenage girls in a high school locker room."

"That's cool, man." Bob said.

"Yeah, I feel the same way about Willow and me." Oz agreed.

"You, too?" Bob asked as he spun around in his chair to face the other two.

"Yeah, man," he said, "Willow and Buffy, they're different. They deserve respect."

"Flesh of the Passions," a young brunette woman with a headset on said as she peeked her head in to the room, "they're ready for you."

The three men stood slowly from their respective chairs, all checking their appearances in the mirror in a true teenage girl fashion before making their ways over to the door. As an almost afterthought, Bob walked up behind Spike and Oz, clapping a hand on each one of their shoulders.

"Your girls," he said, "they got any friends?"

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Buffy and Willow walked in to their dorm building and were surprised to see a large group of girls congregating in the commons room. Up toward the front of the group was Harmony and her clique surrounding the large television they had won for their building in a contest the semester before.

"What's going on?" Willow asked.

Buffy shook her head, not sure herself, as she walked up to one of the girls sitting on the couch toward the back of the room. "Hey, do you know what this is all about?" She asked.

"Yeah, there's an interview with Flesh of the Passions on MTV in a few minutes." She said. "They're announcing their official tour dates tonight."

Buffy glanced over to Willow as her heart took a little bit of a nose dive in to her stomach. All of a sudden the fact that Spike was going to be leaving got incredibly real, and she knew just by Willow's expression that she had felt the exact same thing. Buffy stood slowly, leaning slightly against the couch as Willow approached her. The two friends laced their fingers together in an attempt to give the other some sort of support, something they both needed in boat loads at the moment, as the opening sequence of Rock Your World came on to the screen.

"Hey guys, I'm Julie Jay." The female host, a pretty brunette girl with dark brown eyes wearing a dark red dress and jean jacket with impossibly tall black heels, said from the screen.

"And I'm Ryan Rook." The male host, a tall man with dirty blonde hair wearing a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt with a leather jacket, yelled after her.

"And this is Rock Your World!" They said in unison.

"We've got a special treat tonight." Julie said with a giant, fake smile on her face.

Ryan took his cue. "This is their first interview since the recent shooting at a local club found frontman, Spike Pratt, in the hospital from a gunshot wound to the abdomen."

"But he's okay and the entire band is here with him." Julie said. "Ladies and gentlemen, please join us in welcoming..."

"FLESH OF THE PASSIONS!" They yelled in unison as the studio audience, and most of the girls in the commons room, cheered and clapped loudly.

Buffy felt Willow squeeze her hand as they watched Spike, Oz, and Bob walk on to the stage. Spike lifted his hand in a wave as he made his way over to the three black stools set out for them. Spike took the one closest to the hosts, closest to Julie, as Oz sat next to him and Bob claimed the last as his own.

"Thank you guys for coming." Julie said as the crowd's noises died down.

"Thanks for having us." Spike said, plastering his smirk on to his face. Buffy smiled involuntarily as she watched him on the screen. She loved his stage look, she would never try to deny the fact that he looked dead sexy in his eyeliner with spiked hair and vintage looking clothes worn to perfection, but she loved the 'normal' version of Spike just as much.

"So you guys recently found yourselves in quite the situation." Ryan said. The guys all nodded, they knew this would be first on their list of questions. "Want to tell us what happened?"

"I don't know exactly how it started," Spike said, "I wasn't there when he came in."

"Oz, Bob?" Julie asked.

"Well, we were all at The Shadow Gallery celebrating a friends birthday and all of a sudden there was a guy inside with a gun." Oz explained.

"You guys never even saw him come in?" Ryan asked.

"No." Bob said. "All of sudden he was just there and he told everyone to get up and stand by the bar. The bartender, Xander, he gave him the cash from the register and the guy demanded to see the safe. They started walking over to this hallway and next thing I knew there were gunshots and the rest is a blur."

"Spike?" Julie asked.

"There's not much to say," he said with a shrug, "Xander brought the guy to the hallway and I did what I had to do."

"There's rumors saying that you took a bullet meant for someone else." Ryan said.

Spike shifted uncomfortably in his chair, clearing his throat and rubbing the back of his neck. "There's some truth to that," he said, "but it's between her and I. Any other bloke would have done the same thing."

"Taking a bullet for someone," Julie said shaking her head, "that's big. You're a hero, Spike."

The crowd cheered loudly in the studio as quite a few pairs of eyes in the commons room turned toward her. Buffy kept her eyes focused directly on the screen, watching as Spike tried to hide the smile forming on his lips. "I wouldn't go that far."

"I would." Julie said, pointing to herself and looking around the room to see who agreed with her as another round of clapping echoed through the studio.

"I'd say someone has a little crush on you, Spike." Ryan said as he hit Julie with a playful elbow.

"I do, I do! In fact..." Julie said standing up and walking over to Spike. She jumped up on to his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding her feet dramatically in the air as the crowd cheered. Spike laughed in obvious discomfort as Willow glanced over to Buffy, her blood was running ice cold while she watched this Julie broad all over her boyfriend. "So what do you think, Spike, do I have a chance?"

"Tempting," Spike said as he gently pushed her legs off of him and removed her arms from his neck, "but I have a girl right now."

"Let's talk about that!" Ryan said as a picture of the two of them appeared on the screen behind the guys. Spike laughed and Buffy clearly saw the words 'oh my God' run across his lips as Julie rushed back to her seat. Almost every pair of eyes in the room turned to look at her now and she felt her face turn a nice shade of pink.

Spike laughed. "That would be my girlfriend."

"Pretty little thing." Ryan commented.

"Bloody gorgeous." He corrected, glancing back up at the picture.

"You guys pretty serious?" Ryan asked.

"I'm crazy about her." He said with a rugged smile.

"Does she feel the same way?" Ryan asked.

"Well, I'd hope she does." He said with a light chuckle, the audience breaking out in a fit of laughter.

"Think it will last when you guys go on tour?" Julie asked.

"Uh, we've talked about it and we're gonna make it work, I'd be a right git not to, she's perfect. She's everything I've ever wanted." The studio audience clapped loudly, loving the sight of the soft spot of bad ass Spike Pratt they were currently seeing.

"Hear that, ladies? Julie!" Ryan said laughingly. "Spike Pratt is off the market."

"And as soon as he's not he's mine!" Julie said jokingly jumping out of her chair and making threatening gestures toward the camera. "Mine I tell you!" The guys laughed, Oz putting a hand on Spike's shoulder in an 'it'll be okay' gesture.

"Calm down, Julie." Ryan said as she sat back down on her chair. "Speaking of touring, you guys are about to start a new one, right?"

Spike had had enough and decided to let Oz take on this question. "Yeah, we were scheduled to start on December 2nd in New York but with everything that's happened lately we've decided to add a show before that at The Shadow Gallery."

"Getting back to the incident at The Shadow Gallery," Julie said turning her attention back to Spike, "I noticed that your necklace has a bullet on it."

Spike nodded. "Yeah, it's actually the one they pulled out of my rib."

"How did you get your hands on that?" Ryan asked. The crowd laughed again as Oz slowly raised his hand, putting the most innocent expression he could muster on to his face. "Oz?"

"I asked the doctor for it and she handed it over." Oz said. "I knew he'd love it, I know my Spike!"

Spike laughed along with the audience, deciding it was time to explain the necklace now. "You probably don't know this, but I've got a pretty massive ego," he said as the audience laughed again, "this just kind of reminds me that I'm not immortal, I'm not some type of rich vampire that's never going to die."

"He doesn't twinkle in the sun, either!" Oz yelled, gaining another round of laughter from the audience.

Spike waited for the laughing to die down before continuing. "I could have died that night," he said, "and this is just a little reminder, keeps me grounded, keeps my ego in check."

"He needs it!" Bob said quickly, finally getting a word in on the interview.

Everyone laughed again as Spike jokingly punched Bob in the arm. "Well, thanks for coming out today guys. Tour dates should be running across the bottom of the screen starting..."

"Now!" Both hosts said at the same time.

"You guys want to play a song for us?" Julie asked as the audience erupted in to applause again.

Spike nodded as the guys got up from their chairs and made their ways over to the stage next to the one they were currently sitting on. Oz grabbed his bass, Bob took his spot behind the drums, and Spike adorned his guitar and took his place at the mic, strumming out the first chord of the song.

"This is the best kind of song about the worst kind of people!" He said as he strummed at his guitar again.

_Bastards at the gate,_

_Your walls are tumbling._

_Your pretty plastic world is crumbling, crumbling._

_Turn up the stereo, this is the end now._

_These bastards are your only friends now, oh oh._

Spike rocked his head back and forth, really getting in to the music as her jammed away on his guitar, sweat already forming on his forehead. He and Oz both glanced at one another, big smiles erupting on to their faces before they turned their focus back to their instruments.

_They'll use your own self doubt,_

_Keep you repentant._

_They'll get you straightened out,_

_They'll break and bend it._

_Behind that plastic prose,_

_You use on all your friends,_

_You're really one of those,_

_You want to start..._

_Again!_

He jumped up on one of the speakers lining the stage as the crowd loudly cheered for him as he belted out the chorus.

_Bastards at the gate,_

_Your walls are tumbling._

_Your pretty plastic world is crumbling, crumbling._

_Turn up the stereo, this is the end now._

_These bastards are your only friends now, oh oh._

He quickly jumped off of the speaker and made his way to the opposite side of the stage as he sang.

_They'll talk in circles now, _

_They'll lead you nowhere._

_They need you broken down,_

_Get you to go there._

_You're acting cool for them,_

_This lie they made you learn._

_Inside it's all broken,_

_You want to see..._

_It burn!_

He gave them the same show between the verse and chorus, really wailing on his guitar as he shook the sweat from his bleached white hair.

_Bastards at the gate,_

_Your walls are tumbling._

_Your pretty plastic world is crumbling, crumbling._

_Turn up the stereo, this is the end now._

_These bastards are your only friends now, oh oh._

He jumped between the crowd and the stage and sang directly in to the group right up against the barricade as he instructed them to clap their hands in time with the drums. Security was going nuts making sure that nobody jumped over the railings to get to him, but Spike was obviously in his own little world of pure musical ecstasy.

_Behind that plastic prose,_

_You use on all your friends,_

_You're really one of those._

_You're acting cool for them,_

_This lie they made you learn._

_Inside it's all broken._

With just a few strides of his long legs, he was at the stairs leading back to the stage and he quickly ran back to the center of it.

_Bastards at the gate,_

_Your walls are tumbling._

_Your pretty plastic world is crumbling, crumbling._

_Turn up the stereo, this is the end now._

_These bastards are your only friends now, oh oh._

_Bastards at the gate,_

_Your walls are tumbling._

_Your pretty plastic world is crumbling, crumbling._

_Turn up the stereo, this is the end now._

These bastards are your only friends now, oh oh.

As the song ended, Oz flipped his bass over and the words "Thank You" could be seen spelled out in black sticker letters. The camera did one last shot of the band from a birds eye view before fading to black and starting a commercial break. As if on cue, the door to the stairway opened and everyone's eyes turned to see Spike rush in, still in his Passions persona, and straight up to Buffy.

Without even giving her a chance to say a single word, his hands met her cheeks as he pulled her face to his in a desperately passionate kiss.

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"I'm sorry but I just had to see you." He said as he grabbed her by the back of the neck and pulled her to him in another fiery kiss.

"Don't be," she said before reconnecting her lips to his, "I was about twenty seconds from jumping on the next bus headed your way."

"No," he said between lip locks, "don't want you riding that thing ever again, least while I'm in town."

He had parked his car in the employee lot of The Shadow Gallery knowing that no one would be there and needing to find a safe haven from the swarm of female trying to paw at him back at the dorm. They were currently in the backseat, making out like a pair of hormonal teenagers, all the while conversing about the interview.

"Just got really real, you know?" Buffy asked as she threw a leg over him, straddling his waist as they continued their game of tonsil hockey.

"My thoughts exactly, luv." He said, running his hands lightly up her ribcage and loving the feeling of the goosebumps he was getting from her. "Don't wanna leave you here, pet."

A sly smile appeared on her lips as she pulled away from him, biting his bottom lip as she went. "What do you want to do?"

He looked up at her, a familiar glint in his eye as a lopsided smirk lit his features. "Right now," he said pushing his obvious erection against her, "I want to fuck you the way I should have the other night."

Buffy laughed gently as she began to pull his shirt off of his body. "I seem to recall you doing just fine."

"Yeah," he said raising his arms as she shed him of the shirt completely, "but the stitches are out now." With no warning whatsoever, she was flipped off of him and her back was meeting the seat of his car as he attacked her neck from on top of her. "Gonna make you scream, make you beg for me, baby."

This wouldn't have been her normal cup of tea, having sex with a guy in the back seat of his car, but with Spike it just seemed to fit. She knew that if for one second she didn't want to do this, if she wanted to go back to his apartment or find a nice hotel room, he would do it in a heartbeat and that may have been what made it so different. His teeth gently scraped at the sensitive skin of her neck as his hand came up to fondle her breast through her clothing.

"Spike." she whispered as her hand found his hair. His hands found the front of the shirt she had been wearing and he made quick work of tearing one side from the other, ripping the buttons holding it closed from their spots and sending them flying around the car. He moved his hands down to the hem of the tank top she was still wearing and slowly began to slide it up her slender body.

"Hi, excuse me!"

Buffy screamed as Clem's voice called in to the car through the front window. Spike quickly jumped off of her and looked around feverishly for his shirt as Buffy tried in vain to re-button her torn one. Giving up on the shirt after a few moments, and another round of knocks on the foggy window from the unknowing Clem, Spike jumped in to the front seat of the car and rolled down the window.

"Can I help you, Clem?" Spike asked, his voice just a bit too high for anyone to believe that he had been doing anything innocent.

"Oh, hey Spike, it's just you!" Clem said, relief obvious in his voice. "I was just walking down to the diner and saw a car parked in here, got a little worried someone broke in to the place again."

"Nope, just me." Spike said quickly.

Clem looked Spike over quickly, his brows furrowing in confusion. "Why don't you have a shirt on?"

"Uh, right, um," Spike stammered, "air conditioning doesn't work." He said finally. "Got a bit hot in here."

"Oh, gotcha." He nodded. "So why are you- is that Buffy back there?"

Buffy had been trying to hide and had found herself on the floor behind the passenger seat. Knowing that she had been caught, she smiled sweetly and tried to act calm. "Hi, Clem."

"What are you doing on the floor?" He asked.

"Uh, lost my earring!" She said triumphantly.

"Yeah," Spike said quickly, "lost her earring so we pulled in here so she could climb back and find it. Don't want her climbing through the car while it's moving, safety and all that."

"Oh," Clem said as his usual smile jumped back in to place, "okay then. Take as long as you need. Hope you find your earring, Buffy!"

"Thanks." She said, giving him another smile.

"Well, I'll see you two later." Clem said as he began to turn away from the car.

Spike rolled up the window quickly before turning around and looking at Buffy. She was folded up like a beach chair on the floor behind his passenger seat and that beautiful blush was tinting her cheeks a wonderful shade of red.

Simultaneously, and without a word said between them, they both erupted in to uncontrollable fits of laughter over another situation that would only happen to the two of them.

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Spike pulled his car up to the average sized home that sat at 1630 Revello Drive and felt his heart speed up its thumping in his chest. He was nervous, meeting your girlfriend's parents was a pretty big deal, but he put up a strong front for her. She had been chatting away at a mile a minute for the past half hour, a tell tale sign of her anxiety over the situation, and he had decided to take on the role of her rock, her anchor in the rough sea that was Thanksgiving at the Summers' house.

Buffy took a deep breath and looked up at the seemingly inviting house in front of them, her so called home, where all of her family was waiting for her to arrive with her new boyfriend. She knew today would be nerve wracking for her, but she had no idea just how nervous she would be until they had actually arrived.

"You alright, pet?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yeah."

"You sure?" He asked. "I mean, we could just turn around. Have Thanksgiving dinner at some diner on the way back to LA. We can find a lady named Marge and a man named Joe and pretend they're your family."

She laughed at his obvious attempt at humor as she undid her seat belt. "Shut up, Spike."

"I'm serious," he said as he undid his own, "we find a pair old enough they might actually believe it."

She shook her head and opened the door without nearly as much trouble as she had once had, she had been gaining a lot of practice throughout the last couple of days with all the time that they had been spending together. She stepped out of the car and waited as he made his way around to her. He grabbed her hand in his own, cocking his head to the side as he gave her a gentle, reassuring smile.

"You ready?" He asked, his free hand rising to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear.

She nodded, a small smile making its way on to her own face as she silently pondered just how she had gotten so lucky. "Yeah."

"They're just your folks, luv." He lifted her hand to his lips and placed a light kiss on the back of it. "How bad could they be?"

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"Is that him?" Dawn asked excitedly.

"I think so." Joyce answered as the women of the Summers' family watched the couple through the window with extreme interest and curiosity.

"Oh, God, look at his hair." Hank's sister, Karen, pointed out in a tone that walked the line of disgust.

"He's in a band, Mom." her daughter, Claire, said with annoyance.

Karen turned to Joyce, eyebrow raised in obvious surprise. "Really?" She asked slowly.

"Yeah, Flesh of the Passions, he's like totally famous." Claire said as she snapped a photo of him with her cell phone as he got out of the car.

The couple were both smiling away, obviously finding humor in something that they could not hear from behind the window. Spike rushed around to the other side of the car, black jeans hugging his hips as the dark blue long sleeved shirt clung to him in all the right places.

"He is so gorgeous!" Dawn whispered loudly.

Joyce nodded. "He is quite the looker."

"Looks like a little punk to me." Karen said with a sigh as she flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"Look at that, look at that!" Dawn said smacking Claire lightly on the arm as Spike lifted Buffy's hand to his lips. "Aww, he kissed her hand! That is so cute!"

"The things I would do to him."

"Claire!" All three of the other women yelled in unison.

"What?"

"They're coming!"

The conversation was cut short when Buffy and Spike began making their way toward the door and everyone quickly dispersed in separate directions.

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"Hi, honey!" Joyce said, taking her daughter in to a tight hug the moment she opened the door.

"Hi, Mom." Buffy said as she hugged her back.

After a few seconds Joyce pulled back, turning her attention to the attractive blonde at Buffy's side. "You must be Spike. I've heard a lot about you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am." Spike said politely.

Joyce smiled, pleasantly surprised by his accent. "Why don't you two come inside? I know everyone is dying to see you."

She moved out of the doorway and Buffy quickly grasped Spike's hand before following behind her. To their right when they entered was the living room which connected directly to the dining room. Joyce walked past that and led them to the kitchen where everyone was currently going about their assigned food preparation tasks.

"Look who's here!" Joyce called as she walked in to the kitchen.

"Buffy!" Dawn yelled, running up to her big sister and enveloping her in a hug.

"Hey, Dawnie." Buffy said returning her second hug of the day. As the siblings broke the embrace, Buffy turned toward Spike. "Dawn, this is Spike. Spike, Dawn."

"Oh, I know who you are." Dawn said, completely unable to hide her excitement. As soon as the words left her mouth, however, she immediately felt as if she had just dug herself a grave. "That sounded really creepy stalker-ish." She said quickly.

Spike chuckled. "Not at all, great to meet you, Dawn."

Dawn's smile widened. "You, too."

"Buffy, doll, how are you?" Karen said walking past Dawn and up to her niece. She wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders and pat a hand against her back.

"I'm good." Buffy answered. It was evident that the two weren't close as Buffy pulled back out of the awkward embrace. "Aunt Karen, this is Spike."

Karen moved her focus over to the bleached man as she raised an eyebrow. "Spike? That's his real name?"

"It's William, actually." Spike said.

"And you go by Spike?" She practically spat.

"Since I was twelve." He said, tone never faltering and still regarding her with the respect any of Buffy's family members was entitled to in his mind.

She looked as if she was going to say something but quickly seemed to rethink it, putting her hand up in the air as if to say 'forget it' before walking away. Buffy glanced around the room and quickly noticed Claire typing away on her cell phone. She gave a quick introduction before heading to the living room and looking around for her father, not seeing him in any of the first floor rooms.

"Mom, where's Dad?" She finally asked.

"I'm right here."

Buffy and Spike both turned quickly to see Hank Summers walking down the stairs. Spike straightened up instantly, putting both of his hands behind his back and standing tall. The rest of the house got quiet as all of the women peered through the kitchen to see the ordeal go down.

"Hi, Dad." Buffy said quietly, voice shaking just slightly. Spike wanted nothing more than to reach out to her, give her a reassuring hand on the small of her back or anything just to let her know that he was there, that they were going through this thing together.

Hank seemed to look past his daughter and kept his eyes focused on her new beau. "Is this Spike?" He asked.

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, Dad, this is Spike. Spike, this is my dad."

"William, if you'd like." Spike said, extending a hand to the man before him. "Honor to meet you, sir." It seemed like forever before Hank finally reached his own out, allowing Spike to grasp it in a strong grip. Spike had shaken hands with a lot of people before and knew how to do it properly, much to Hank's obvious surprise.

"Quite the handshake you've got there." He commented. "You can learn a lot about a man from the way he shakes your hand."

Spike nodded once as they each released the others hand. "Thank you, sir."

"You have football where you're from?" Hank asked.

"Not the kind you're referring to," Spike said, "but I've lived in LA since I was ten."

Hank nodded shortly, turning to the couch behind him and sitting down. "Have a seat, son." He said as he motioned toward the loveseat against the other wall. "Buffy, why don't you go and help your mother out in the kitchen?"

Buffy glanced over at Spike, the last thing that she wanted to do was leave him here if he was uncomfortable with the situation. He met her eyes and nodded, telling her it was okay. Without another word, Buffy walked in to the kitchen and left her boyfriend at the mercy of her father.

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"Oh. My. God." Dawn whispered to Buffy as the two, plus Claire, worked on cutting up the things they would need for the large salad they were making. "He is so hot, Buffy!"

Buffy laughed. "Thanks."

"How did you land him?" Claire asked.

She shrugged. "I really don't even know. It feels like some sort of fairy tale."

Claire snorted as Dawn's lips raised in a giddy smile. "That is so cool! Would he sign my Flesh of the Passions poster?"

"I'm sure he would if you asked him to." Buffy answered.

"This is so awesome, my sister is dating a rock star." Dawn said as she chopped up a head of lettuce.

"So how do you plan on keeping his interest?" Claire asked as she threw the cut up cucumber in to the bowl.

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked.

"Come on, you know." Claire said, shaking her head in amusement. "Those guys go crazy when they get away Crazy parties, tons of drinking, random sex."

"Spike's not like that." Buffy instantly defended.

Claire laughed coldly. "They're all like that. When the cat's away the mouse will play."

"Trust me, Claire," Buffy said, "I know Spike. He's not the type to just run around with random girls. You should have seen how hard he had to try to just get me to go out on a date with him."

"Well then explain Darla Benz." Claire said.

"Who?" Buffy asked.

"Guitar playing chick for Glory Wire." Claire clarified.

Buffy's brows furrowed, she had no idea what the girl was talking about. Claire sighed and rolled her eyes before quickly typing something in to her phone. After a few seconds, she turned the screen to face her cousin, a picture of a pretty blonde with green eyes on the screen.

"So?" Buffy asked.

"They dated and now they're going on tour together." She said looking at the picture again. "Actually, it's kind of funny how alike you two look. Blonde hair, green eyes, I think someone still holds a torch for an old fling."

Just before Buffy was about to say something back, Joyce walked over. "Just waiting on you three. Are you guys almost done?"

Buffy threw the last couple ingredients she had been cutting in to the bowl, staring at Claire angrily. "We're done."

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The two men sat in a slightly uncomfortable silence for a few minutes, both staring at the men running around the field on the large television screen as if it were the most interesting thing they had ever seen. When the commercials came on, however, Hank muted the television and turned to face the man on the couch opposite him.

"You do drugs, boy?" Hank asked.

Spike turned toward the man quickly, a look of pure shock on his features. "No, sir."

"Heavy drinker?" Spike shook his head. "Ever cheat on a girlfriend?"

"Never." Spike answered.

Hank nodded, seemingly trying to sort out what to say next. "Buffy's my daughter," he said, "I know she's not a child anymore, but she's still my little girl. We may not be close, but I still love her more than anyone in this world. I would do anything for her, including being the hard ass that keeps her in line."

Spike nodded. "Understandable." He said.

"I don't know much about you, Spike," he said, "but what I do know is that Buffy is one of a kind."

"No arguments there, sir, never met anyone like her." He said.

"And she deserves to be treated as such." Hank said. "I know how boys are these days, treating women like they're objects that are only around for one purpose. I don't want that for my daughter, she doesn't need a boy," Hank paused for a moment and looked him straight in the eyes, "she needs a man. If you can't be that for her, if you can't be a gentleman and all that entails, then there's the door."

"With all due respect, Mr. Summers," Spike said, "I took a bullet for your daughter." Hank nodded. "I can assure you that you have nothing to worry about with me. You and your wife have raised one hell of a woman and I fully intend to treat her the way that she deserves and nothing less."

Hank nodded. "Alright," he said, "but I'm warning you now that if you ever hurt her, I don't care how little or in what way, I'll kill you."

"If I ever hurt her," Spike responded, "I'd kill myself."

"Everything okay in here?" Joyce asked as she peered in from the kitchen.

Hank nodded, still looking at Spike for a moment before turning to his wife. "Everything's fine."

Joyce smiled. "Well, then come on in. Dinner's ready." Without another word she slipped back through the doorway in to the dining room.

The two men stood and Spike extended his arm in front of him toward the doorway. "After you, Mr. Summers."

"Call me Hank."

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The second Spike had walked in to the dining room he could see that something was bothering Buffy. He sat next to her and took her hand in his under the table and out of the view of the others around them. When she pulled her hand away and began to fiddle with her napkin, however, his face soon fell in to a frown. He glanced over at her and noticed that she was looking down at her hands, purposefully avoiding his eyes.

What the hell had happened?

The food began to make its way around the table and light conversations started to take off. Spike was hardly listening, he was too busy wondering what was bothering Buffy so much that she would pull away from him like that. Everything had been going great, he was on a first name basis with her father for Christ's sake.

"So, Spike," Joyce said, effectively pulling him out of his own thoughts as she passed him the bowl of mashed potatoes from across the table, "where is your family? Are they back in England?"

"No, ma'am," Spike said quietly, "my father died when I was eight and my mother a few years ago."

"I'm so sorry." Joyce said putting a hand to her chest.

Spike shrugged. "It's okay," he said, "I hadn't seen her in years, was raised by my aunt."

"Then why aren't you with her today?" Karen asked from next to Joyce.

"We were never very close," Spike said, "felt more like a burden to her than an actual family member."

"You don't say." Karen said sarcastically. Spike wanted more than anything to say something witty back at the woman, but was surprised when someone else did it for him.

"Don't be bitter because your husband left you for his secretary, Karen." Hank said as he cut off a few slices of the turkey.

He didn't want to, he tried not to, but he couldn't help looking over at her with his character smirk plastered on his face. Her face and neck had turned a deep shade of red at her brother's comment. "I left him, Hank."

"Yeah, because he was sleeping with the secretary." Hank said.

"I would appreciate not talking about this around my daughter, Hank." Karen said glaring at him with an icy stare.

"It's okay," Claire said as she got her turn with the potatoes, "I'm not stupid. I know what happened and I really don't care."

"Well, I do." Karen said, spearing a piece of turkey violently with her fork.

"I hear you're going back on tour soon." Joyce said after a few moments of silence.

He nodded, grabbing the bowl in his hands and setting it on the table in front of him. "Yes, Mrs. Summers. December first."

"That's got to be exciting." Joyce commented.

"Bittersweet," he said, "touring is great, don't get me wrong, but I always miss home and the people I left there." He glanced over at Buffy, relieved when she glanced back at him. He could see a storm brewing behind those forest green eyes, it was killing him not knowing what she was thinking about.

"December first, that's not far off." Karen said, "A week from today, isn't it?" Spike nodded, not saying a word. "Whatever will you and Buffy do?"

"We'll manage." Spike said, not missing the scoff that Claire let out at his statement. "Buffy knows she has nothing to worry about."

"How's Darla Benz?" Claire asked with a smile on her lips and an evil little glint in her eyes.

"Excuse me." Buffy said quietly, putting down her fork and knife on the side of her plate. Spike watched intently as she moved the chair away from the table and quickly walked away. He could hear the sounds of her footfalls meeting each step as she went upstairs.

Everyone at the table glanced over at Claire with questioning eyes.

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Buffy went up to her room and quickly closed the door behind her before flicking on the light. It was just the way she had left it, even the floral bedspread hadn't changed. There were posters and pictures of her and her friends scattered around the walls. The only thing that seemed to have changed at all was her stack of CD's on her desk, it had definitely gotten smaller and she knew Dawn had been 'borrowing' them. She walked over to her bed and sat on the edge of it, trying to sort out all of the thoughts in her head when someone knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" She asked. The door opened slowly and she wasn't surprised to see Spike walk inside before closing it behind him. He turned around and looked at her. "What?"

Spike put his hands on his hips as he looked down at her, brows furrowed in confusion and his mind dying to understand. "What's wrong, luv?"

"Don't call me 'luv'," she said, "not right now."

He cocked his head to the side. "Did I do something?" He asked.

"Nope, not at all." She said. "That's the problem."

He scoffed lightly, clearly annoyed with her hints and riddles. "Mind putting that in layman's terms, I don't speak tantrum." He said quickly.

"Why didn't you tell me about Darla?" She asked.

"Darla? What?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Yeah, Darla Benz." Buffy was getting more agitated now, using her hands to add emphasis.

"What has she got to do with anything?" He asked.

"She's your ex girlfriend."

He gave her a sideways glance, still not sure what the hell the problem was. "Right."

"You're going on tour with her, Spike!" Buffy practically yelled. "Your touring with your ex girlfriend and you didn't tell me!"

"Because it's a non-issue." He said.

"A non-issue?" Buffy said, quickly standing from the bed and walking up to him. "How the hell is this a non-issue?"

"Because it was a publicity stunt," he said calmly, "went out on two dates almost three years ago. Anya set the entire thing up."

"What?"

"Yeah," he said, "call her and ask her if you'd like. What the hell has gotten in to you?"

Buffy closed her eyes, letting out a long annoyed sigh. "Claire."

He raised an eyebrow. "Claire, your shirty cousin downstairs?"

"One and only."

Spike scoffed, shaking his head. "Stupid bint, what else did she say?"

"Other than the fact that her and I look, like, exactly the same?" Buffy asked.

Spike looked her over a few times, cocking his head to the side. "Only if I was really drunk and suddenly went legally blind."

"Blonde hair, green eyes." Buffy pointed out.

"So does Gary Busey but you look nothing like him." Spike said.

"What is your thing with Gary Busey?" She asked.

Spike shrugged, small laugh making its way between his words. "I honestly have no idea, don't even know if his eyes are actually green, but he is blonde and you do look nothing like him even if you are acting just as insane right now."

Buffy sighed, sitting back down on the bed with her head in her hands. "Why does this have to be so hard?"

Spike sat down next to her, putting and arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer to him. He landed a gentle kiss to her temple as he held her tightly. "Because we care for one another." He said. "This isn't going to be easy, Buff, not for either of us. I'm gonna be missing you like crazy every second of every day while I'm gone, but I'm not going to go near another girl."

"I know." She whispered.

"No you don't," he said, "thanks for saying it, I appreciate the effort, but it's not true. If you knew then you wouldn't have gotten all bent out of shape about it tonight."

Buffy pulled away slightly, looking in to his eyes with unshed tears brimming in her own. "Can you really blame me, Spike? I mean look at me, I'm just some normal little girl who works at a bar your band just happened to play at one night."

"And I'm just a normal little boy that's bloody crazy about you." He said, cupping her cheeks in his hands so she couldn't look away. "That guy that sings for Passions, that rock star that they put on the telly, he's just an act. He's some character I made up and the second I'm off that stage or the cameras turn off, he's gone. This is the real me, luv, not him."

"Spike."

"I'm not finished." He said quickly. "I'm nobody special, baby, just some hopeless romantic that will be up every night wishing I could be with the one and only girl with the key to my heart, dreaming of holding you in my arms, waiting for the next time I can see your face and hear your voice." A single tear ran down her cheek. It wasn't a sad tear, quite the opposite actually, but he gently wiped it away with his thumb nonetheless. "Nobody can compare to you, Buffy, nobody. I'm not going to go out looking for the runner up while the best thing that has ever happened to me is at home waiting for me."

Buffy smiled slightly, blinking rapidly to rid the remaining tears from her eyes. "I don't deserve you."

"No," he said, "it's the rest of them that don't deserve you."

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**Don't yell at me for the "Claire clarified" thing. I thought it was funny when I wrote it so I left it there. Also, sorry about the multiple Gary Busey references. They just keep popping up.**

**Reviews please?**


	12. Chapter 12

**Indigo-Night-Wisp, you're reviews always crack me up, seriously. Never stop leaving them. You are a gem. **

**LithiumReaper, the link is in my profile now. Oh, and wish granted. ;)**

**General notes:**

**I'm beyond happy that everyone is enjoying Bob. I based him on my brother, he's a real character. Lol.**

**I wish I knew why Gary Busey kept showing up in this fic, I really do. It will probably keep happening, so I apologize if the mention of his name makes anyone shudder in fear.**

**I'm sorry for ruining men for everyone. . **

**IN CASE OF RAPTURE, THIS STORY WILL CONTINUE TO BE UPDATED AS LONG AS THERE IS INTERNET ACCESS.**

**Trying to find songs for Glory Wire to perform is really difficult. I don't want them to be a shitty band, but I don't want them to be amazing either because, well, Glory is definitely not a good person in this. I am sorry if I disrespect some good songs in this story by giving them to Glory Wire, but I mean, they have to perform something.**

**This chapter was brought to you by Lady GaGa's new album, Born This Way. I was listening to it at 2am and writing this thing, it somehow inspired me. I really don't get that, either. What's with these celebs getting all in my mind?**

**Songs in this chapter are:**

**Celebrity Skin by Hole**

**First Time by Lifehouse**

**Knowing is Half the Bottle by The Architects**

**000000000000**

Today was the day, November 30th, Passions' last day in LA before the band was set to leave for their next tour. Buffy and Willow had both been dreading this day for about a month now, neither really thinking that it would ever actually happen, and now that it was here they were even more surprised by what they found they would be doing with it.

"I haven't played laser tag since I was like, twelve." Buffy said as Spike led her in to Quest, a large arcade about twenty minutes from Roth University.

"I've never played laser tag." Willow said quietly.

"You've never played laser tag?" Oz asked in obvious shock, Willow shook her head and looked up at him sheepishly. "Jesus Christ, you were such a depraved little child!"

"My mom was convinced I'd get hurt." She explained.

"It's a beam on light," Spike said, "it can't hurt you."

"Willow is what we call vertically challenged," Buffy explained, "she has a hard time staying upright."

Spike laughed, wrapping an arm around his girl. "Don't worry, Red," he said, "we'll go easy on you."

"What's this 'we' stuff?" Buffy asked, pulling away from him and moving over to Willow. "I'm on her side and we're going to kick your asses."

"Those are some fighting words." Oz said before turning his attention to the kid behind the counter and handing him a Quest Card.

"Enjoy your games." The kid said, handing him four green wrist bands.

"We don't have to pay?" Willow asked.

"I won a contest last year, free games for life with unlimited guests for the last man standing in a 200 person game." He explained, a sly smile making its way on to his face. "You sure you're still team Buffy?"

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Buffy and Willow hid behind one of the walls of the large course, listening intently to try and hear Oz or Spike over the techno music the venue had playing to prevent just that. They both had the large black vests on over their clothes and were toting around a ridiculous looking black gun. Buffy had pulled her hair back in to a neat ponytail at the beginning of the game to keep it from her view and for the first time wished that she had been blessed with dark hair so that hers wouldn't be so easily seen in the black-lit room.

"We're never going to win if we just stand here." Buffy whispered to her friend and sister in arms.

Willow nodded. "I think we should split up."

"Okay," Buffy said, "I'll go toward that tower looking thing and you head in the other direction. Just remember, don't shoot your teammate."

Willow nodded and the girls took off in their separate directions. Buffy kept close to the walls as she went, feeling that if she had her back against something then the guys wouldn't be able to sneak up behind her. Eventually, however, the wall she had been walking along ended and she was met with a large open area that she knew would give the opposing team plenty of opportunity to hit her with their lights of doom. Seeing no other option, she ran as fast as she could across the floor, letting out a sigh of relief as she got to the other side unscathed. She didn't even notice the doorway to her left before she was pulled through it by a strong arm wrapping itself around her waist and a hand over her mouth.

"Look at what I found," Spike whispered playfully in to her ear as he held her flat against his chest, "little soldier from the other side. What ever should I do with her?" Buffy tried to turn to face him, but his arms kept her exactly where she was.

"Well you can start by letting her go." She said playfully pulling against his arms.

"Promise not to shoot me?" He asked, she nodded quickly. He loosened his grip on her and she spun around in his arms, a smile instantly rising to her lips when she took in the sight of him. "What's that smile for?"

"Your hair," she said with a laugh, "its glowing in the blacklight."

His eyebrows furrowed and he raised one of his hands to his hair quickly. "You're serious?" Buffy nodded, laughing a little more now at his reaction to the news. "Well...bugger." He looked her over for a minute, a grin appearing on his lips as he did so. "Don't you look adorable." He mocked.

"Shut it, glowstick."

"I'm serious!" He said. "Little bit of science fiction looking flare, pair it with some black leather pants and you'd be my walking, talking fantasy."

"Want me to cover myself in glitter, too?"

"Oh, would you please?" He asked. Buffy laughed as she hit him playfully on the chest. "You'd be my high school wet dream."

"Oh, my God." She said, very grateful that he couldn't see the blush in her cheeks in the dark course.

Spike chuckled as he peered out of the fort and around the corner to make sure that they were alone. He turned back to Buffy, an ornery glint in his eye. "How about a secret alliance?"

Buffy's brows furrowed. "What?" She asked.

"Turn the tables a little, switch teams, go after the Red's together."

"Are you serious?" She asked.

"Yeah, why not?" Spike asked. "A little mutiny keeps the game interesting."

Buffy thought for a moment before smiling up at him, an idea forming in her head. "Let's do it."

"That's my girl." He said, a wide grin spreading across his lips.

The two slowly moved out of the fort that they had been hiding in, Spike trying to keep his head low to avoid being seen in the lighting as they went. They made their way around a couple of walls before Spike finally caught a quick glimpse of movement across from them. He put an arm out, stopping Buffy in her tracks as he tried to figure out which redhead it was.

"I think that's Oz," he whispered, "I'm gonna go distract him. Count to ten and then make your move."

Buffy nodded as Spike made his way over to Oz. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she did notice Willow begin to sneak around from the other side of the wall. She quickly made her way over to her friend, not making a sound as she pointed to where the two were talking. Willow nodded and let Buffy take the lead. They both rushed in to the area with their guns going off as fast as the little triggers would let them.

Within seconds Oz was hit. His vest made a strange sound and the lights that adorned it turned red, signaling that he had been killed. "Spike, I'm out!" Oz called.

"Not on your team, mate." Spike answered as she pointed his gun at Willow. Just as he was about to pull the trigger he heard the familiar kill sound come from his own chest. He looked down and saw that the lights had turned red as well. Realization dawned on him and he looked over at Buffy, surprised to see that she still held the gun pointed at him with a proud smile on her face.

She shrugged as he raised an eyebrow at him. "You said it yourself, Spike, a little mutiny keeps the game interesting."

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It was half past seven when Buffy and Willow showed up at The Shadow Gallery. People were everywhere both inside and out, all hoping to catch a glimpse of any of the members of the two bands playing tonight. The tables and chairs that usually sat in the middle of the floor were gone and a large barricade was set up a few feet away from the stage. Clem had given Buffy the night off, for obvious reasons, and she took full advantage of that as she and Willow made their way to the bar.

"Can I help you?" The man Buffy recognized as Riley from the other club asked.

"I've got them." Xander said, coming up to them quickly with their drinks already in his hands. "Saw you two come in," he said, "figured you could use these."

Buffy smiled in appreciation, taking the drink meant for her in to her hands. "So, why's Riley here?" She asked.

Xander looked over his shoulder, giving a short shrug before turning his eyes back to her. "Clem hired him, insisted that he wanted another bartender as my backup."

"Makes sense." Buffy said taking a sip of her drink.

"Are the guys here yet?" Willow asked.

"No, they should be any second though. Anya wanted them to come in after the crowd, kind of a make an entrance kind of thing." Xander explained.

Buffy raised an eyebrow at him, giving him a sideways glance. "How do you know what Anya wants?"

"Well, I, uh, I kind of..." A crash from the other side of the bar caught Xander's attention and he glanced over to see a broken glass sprawled across the floor in front of two very tipsy girls. "I've got to go."

"Have fun." Willow called after him before looking over at Buffy. "I'm gonna run to the bathroom," she said, "watch my drink?"

"Nope, gonna let someone drug it." Buffy answered in mock seriousness.

Willow smiled, standing from her stool and grabbing her tiny purse. "Thanks."

Buffy turned her attention back to her drink, swirling it absentmindedly with her straw. She wasn't sure exactly what it was, Xander had probably decided to be creative and made up his own concoction again, but it was a bright vibrant blue color and tasted incredibly fruity. She wasn't a huge fan of the taste of alcohol and Xander was always trying new ways to hide it from her, that's what friends were for, right?

"So you work here, too?"

Buffy looked up quickly at the sound of the new voice and was surprised to see it belonged to Riley. He was standing across from her making a drink for one of the many other patrons surrounding the bar.

"Yup," she said smiling sweetly at him, "call it my second home."

"Yeah, I hear ya." He said picking up another glass and filling it about half way with some coke, "between the police academy and work I don't know why I even need my house."

"Do you still live at home?" She asked, taking another sip of her drink.

"No," Riley answered, "made a couple of good choices when I was twenty and saved up enough to buy a house last year. Most people our age live in some run down apartment and are just trying to get by," he said, "I own a house and am working on my career."

"Seems like you've got it all figured out." She said politely, if not a little envious. Buffy had always wished that she could figure out a distinct direction to go in, that she could find a niche in something and take it to the bank, but in all honesty she had no idea what she was going to do after college with her degree in general business.

She watched as Riley poured a shot and slid it in front of her. "Oh, no I-"

"Go ahead," he said, "on the house."

Buffy smiled, shaking her head as she slid the shot back over to him. "I don't do shots, not since a very embarrassing incident at a party my freshman year."

"No worries, we all have at least one." Riley chuckled softly. "A girl as pretty as you shouldn't be alone in a bar. Did your friends ditch you or..."

"Oh, no," she said as she glanced in the direction that Willow had gone off in, "Willow's just in the bathroom, she should be back any second now."

As if on cue there were loud cheers and applause coming from just outside The Shadow Gallery's doors as the roar of a motorcycle's engine became deafening before cutting off completely. The doors opened with a bang and a smile appeared on her face when she saw Spike waltz through them, game face in place and every bit of his body language screaming rock star.

"And that would be my boyfriend."

He glanced around the room for a moment before his eyes met hers, but when they did she felt her own heart skip a beat. She briefly wondered how just a simple look from him could make her feel the way it did, so alive in every sort of way, but before she could really think it through his characteristic smirk appeared on his face as he began to walk toward her with long strides and a hungry look on his face.

She looked fantastic. She had apparently listened to what he had said about the leather pants because she was now sporting them in a way that made him want to throw her over his shoulder and take her to some secluded room to have his wicked way with her. She had a deep red sequined top on that only covered one shoulder. Her hair was pulled up, but quite a few of her blonde locks had been left to dangle loosely, framing her face perfectly. He didn't know how he was going to keep his hands off of her long enough to play.

She stood from her bar stool, ready to greet him in the way she usually did with a light peck followed by him taking her hand in his and leading her wherever they intended to go. The last thing she had expected him to do was pull her hard against his body and pull her face to his with a skillfully placed hand behind the neck, the other on the small of her back. When he kissed her it wasn't the soft and gentle way that she was accustomed to, but filled with need and desire for her and only her, just like the one in the dorm's commons room a few days prior.

"Do you have the slightest idea just how delicious you look tonight?" He asked in the momentary pause between their kiss, taking the chance to gently take her lip between his teeth. "Might just have to take a bite or two after the show."

Buffy laughed softly, pulling away from him just enough to speak. "You can have as much as you'd like."

His lips raised in to a lopsided grin, kissing her once more before continuing. "Gonna hold you to that, luv."

"You'd better."

After a few seconds, and many hoots and hollers from numerous onlookers, he broke the kiss and hooked his arm around her neck, draping it lightly over her shoulder as he looked down at the bar. He noticed the shot and knew instantly what this new bartender had been trying to do. He had seen him watching the show he was putting on intently, a bit to interested in Buffy's part of it. Staying true to his stage persona, he lifted the glass in his hand and tipped it in the man's direction. "Cheers."

He downed the shot before quickly turning them and walking toward the stage. As they made their way behind the curtain Buffy was shocked by all of the commotion and running around everyone was doing in the small space.

"All Glory's doing," Spike said, "gotta have everything perfect or the bloody bint won't go out."

"Well, that's kind of-"

"Rude? Yeah, you don't know the half of it, pet. Tours gonna be miserable with that looney running rampant." He explained as they made their way past all of what was apparently Team Glory and over to the door to the employee parking lot. Buffy was surprised to see Willow and Oz there already along with Bob and most of Glory Wire.

"I was wondering what was taking you so long in the bathroom." Buffy said as she approached Willow.

"Well, funny story," she said, "I was walking in and Oz was walking out so he waited and we just walked back here. Actually, it's not that funny. But I figured Spike would get you eventually."

Buffy laughed softly as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "He put on quite the show doing it, too."

"Come on now, luv," he said glancing down at her, "got a reputation to keep. Can't let everyone else see me being all lovey dovey with you all of the time."

"Yeah, that would really kill the whole bad ass act."

Buffy and Spike turned to see who Buffy recognized as Darla Benz standing behind them. She was even prettier in person. Her blonde hair was reaching down to her mid back and done in perfectly messy blonde curls, almost as blonde as Spike's. Her green eyes sparkled even in the nighttime sky as she held a cigarette to her lips, leather pants sticking to her like a second skin and white button up shirt under a loose fitting studded leather jacket.

Spike smiled and tightening his arm around Buffy just a little bit. "Buff," he said, "there's someone I want you to meet. Darla, this is Buffy."

"The girl you're dating right?" Darla asked as she looked her over with a hand on her hip. "Nice job! Hi, I'm Darla." She extended her hand toward Buffy who took it quickly. "I've heard so much about you, poor kid's been saying nothing but Buffy this and Buffy that all day at practice."

"What can I say?" Spike asked as Buffy turned her gaze back to him. "Girl's in my gut."

Darla laughed. "He's drowning in ya, Summers. Hey, come meet the rest of the band!" Darla turned quickly and began walking over to the group standing over near a large bus across the lot.

"See, I told you," Spike said quietly, "nothing to worry about with Darla."

"You're right." Buffy said as they followed her toward her band. "I'm sorry for being so crazy about that."

"Understandable," he said, "how do you think I felt about that new bartender git?"

Buffy's brows furrowed as she glanced over at him. "Riley?"

"That's his name?" Spike asked. "Isn't that something you'd name your pet?"

"Say's Spike."

"Point taken." He said quickly. "You don't give a girl a free shot unless you're trying to get one in return."

"Oh, stop it," she said as she lightly smacked his chest, "he's just being nice. We're going to be working together."

"As are Darla and I," he said, "but she's not off buying me shots."

The conversation ended as they caught up with Darla and she introduced her to the rest of the band. There was a girl with dirty blonde hair named Amy and a blonde, definitely gay, guy named Andrew. They were both friendly enough and were dressed similarly to Darla. Amy was apparently the bassist and Andrew the drummer. The only thing missing was Glory herself.

"Glory doesn't come out before or after shows, she just stays locked away in her room on the bus. She's actually really pissed because she doesn't have her own for this tour." Darla explained.

"Oh." Was Buffy's brilliant response. What else was there to say, really?

"Glory Wire, five minutes." One of the Team Glory members called as he poked his head through the door.

Darla glanced back at the bus, a sigh escaping her lips as she accepted her fate. "Well, time to summon the bloody beast."

000000000000

Buffy stood backstage wrapped in Spike's arms as Glory Wire played. He had his chin resting on the top of her head as they both looked forward, watching the show and dancing together whenever the song seemed to call for it. Willow and Oz stood on the opposite side of the stage, talking quietly with one another and practically ignoring the band in front of them. Bob had been chatting it up with Faith all night, she had been the lucky one to score band duty for the show and Buffy knew she'd be taking full advantage of that.

Glory Wire was good, there was no doubt about that, but Buffy could tell that the band's front woman wasn't really all that in to it. Whenever they would end a song and the crowd would cheer, she would turn her back from them and roll her eyes as if none of them were worth her time. The rest of the band, however, ate it up like starving puppies.

"This is our last song before Flesh of the Passions comes on," Glory said in to the mic, "are you ready?"

The crowd cheered loudly.

"I said ARE YOU READY?"

Screams and clapping could be heard throughout the entire bar as Andrew hit at the cymbals on his drum set.

_Oh, make me over,  
I'm all I wanna be,  
A walking study,  
In demonology._

_Hey, so glad you could make it._  
_Yeah, now you really made it._  
_Hey, so glad you could make it now._

_Oh look at my face,_  
_My name is might have been,_  
_My name is never was,_  
_My name's forgotten._

_Hey, so glad you could make it._  
_Yeah, now you really made it._  
_Hey, there's only us left now._

_When I wake up,_  
_In my makeup,_  
_It's too early for that dress._  
_Wilted and faded,_

_Somewhere in Hollywood,  
I'm glad I came here with your pound of flesh.  
No second billing, cause you're a star now.  
Oh, Cinderella they aren't sluts like you.  
Beautiful garbage, beautiful dresses,  
Can you stand up or will you just fall down?_

_You better watch out,_  
_On what you wish for._  
_It better be worth it,_  
_So much to die for._

_Hey, so glad you could make it._  
_Yeah, now you really made it._  
_Hey, there's only us left now._

_When I wake up, in my makeup,_  
_Have you ever felt so used up as this?_  
_It's all so sugarless,_  
_Hooker waitress, model actress,_  
_Oh just go nameless._

_Honeysuckle,  
She's full of poison,  
She obliterated everything she kissed.  
Now she's fading, somewhere in Hollywood,  
I'm glad I came here with your pound of flesh._

_You want a part of me,_  
_Well I'm not selling cheap._  
_No I'm not selling cheap._

The crowd cheered as the stage lights went down and Glory stormed off of the stage. She walked right past Spike and Buffy without a second glance and barked a few orders to her team before disappearing through the back door.

Spike shook his head as they watched her go. "If I ever get like that, just take me out back and shoot me."

"Deal." Buffy said as they watched her go. It was weird seeing everything from this perspective, she was usually out in the crowd and trying to push her way through with drinks and nachos, but tonight she was seeing it from the other side. The crowd seemed so much bigger from the stage and she couldn't help but think how nerve wracking it must be knowing that every set of eyes in the building is fixed on you.

Spike had noticed her staring out at the crowd before them and had a pretty good idea what she was thinking. "I'll take you out there on one of our real shows," he said, "you think this is a head trip, wait until your standing in the middle of an arena."

"Flesh of the Passions, you're on in ten!" One of the stage hands called.

She heard Spike sigh from behind her. "Time to feed the dogs."

000000000000

Buffy had elected to stay backstage while Passions was on. She wasn't really in the mood to deal with drunks and the temperature where she was had to have been at least ten degrees cooler than down in the pit of human sweat. She was waiting patiently for the show to start when she felt someone walk up behind her. She turned around slowly, curious as to who was there, and was surprised to see it was Darla.

"Hey there." Darla said as she walked up to stand next to her. Buffy merely smiled, crossing her arms over her chest and looking out at the darkened stage. "Can we have a talk, girl to girl?"

Buffy glanced over at her again, brows furrowing momentarily. "Sure." She said.

Darla took a quick swig of the beer she had grabbed from Faith after her set and sat it down on the table next to them. "Don't make a big deal about this," she said, "but word on the street is that you're a little uneasy about Spike being on tour with a band composed mainly of chicks."

Buffy sighed as she looked back out at the stage. "He told you about what happened on Thanksgiving, didn't he?"

Darla nodded. "He did." She said.

"Well that's," she paused for a moment as she searched her mind for an appropriate word, "awesome."

"Don't get mad at him," Darla said, "I kind of asked. Well, actually I asked him how you felt about him touring with us, being a bunch of chicks, and one gay man."

"What did he tell you?" Buffy asked.

"Just that your cunt of a cousin decided to bring up that little fling we had a few years ago and got you all bent out of shape about it." Darla said.

Buffy sighed, this wasn't the most comfortable conversation to be having backstage at your soon-to-be-leaving boyfriend's show. "It's scary, you know? He's going to be gone for almost a month and I'm just afraid he's going to get tired of waiting for me."

Darla laughed. "Trust me, sweetie, you have nothing to worry about there. You should have heard him earlier, you were all he would talk about. He's completely smitten with you, Buffy, I've never seen him that way and I've known the kid for a really long time."

"Really?" Buffy asked.

"Yes, really, you'd have to be blind not to see it." Darla said as she put a comforting hand on Buffy's shoulder. "You've got yourself one of the good ones here, Buff. I'll look after him for you, sweetheart, Mother Darla's got your back, but you really don't even need me."

Buffy laughed. "Thank you."

"Anytime."

000000000000

The concert was going absolutely amazingly. The guys were having the time of their lives and the crowd was loving every second of it. At the very beginning Willow had found Buffy over on the side of the stage and the two had been singing and dancing together the entire time. Spike had glanced over at them quite a few times and whenever he did he could see that the girls were having a ton of fun and a huge smile would make its way on to his face. They had almost completed their set and only had one song left, the song that he had been most nervous about the entire night.

"We've got one more song for you tonight." He yelled in to the mic. "It's a new song that I wrote just about a week ago, would you like to hear it?" The crowd went crazy and he couldn't help the smile that made its way to his face. "This songs called First Time."

Without a pause he strummed away on his guitar, Oz and Bob jumping in at the appropriate times. Buffy watched intently and didn't miss when he glanced over at her from the mic and gave her a quick wink before diving right in to the vocals.

_We're both looking for something,  
That we've been afraid to find.  
It's easier to be broken,  
It's easier to hide._

_Looking at you,holding my breath,_  
_For once in my life, I'm scared to death,_  
_I'm taking a chance, letting you inside._

_I I'm feeling alive all over again,_  
_As deep as the sky that's under my skin._  
_Like being in love, she said, for the first time._  
_Maybe I'm wrong, I'm feeling right,_  
_Where I belong with you tonight._  
_Like being in love to feel for the first time._

_The world that I see inside you,_  
_Waiting to come to life._  
_Waking me up to dreaming,_  
_Reality in your eyes._

_Looking at you,_  
_Holding my breath._  
_For once in my life,_  
_I'm scared to death._  
_I'm taking a chance,_  
_Letting you inside._

_I'm feeling alive all over again,_  
_As deep as the sky that's under my skin._  
_Like being in love, she said, for the first time._  
_Maybe I'm wrong, I'm feeling right,_  
_Where I belong with you tonight._  
_Like being in love to feel for the first time._

_We're crashing,_  
_Into the unknown._  
_We're lost in this,_  
_But it feels like home._

Suddenly, Spike turned his body toward where she was standing off to the side of the stage. He met her eyes as he continued to sing and play his guitar with as much energy and happiness as she had seen him put forth all night.

_I'm feeling alive all over again,_  
_As deep as the sky that's under my skin._  
_Like being in love, she said, for the first time._  
_Maybe I'm wrong, I'm feeling right,_  
_Where I belong with you tonight._  
_Like being in love can feel for the first time._

_Like being in love she said for the first time._  
_Like being in love can feel for the first time._

Buffy's heart was beating twice as fast as normal and the butterflies in her stomach were absolutely uncontrollable as he walked over to her with meaningful strides. He pulled her to him roughly as his lips collided with hers in a passionate kiss. He lifted her in to his arms and she instinctually wrapped her legs around his waist.

He pulled away slowly and she rested her forehead against his. "That's your song, luv." He whispered. Buffy smiled as she pulled his lips back to hers as the crowd called for an encore. He pulled away again and sat her back down on her feet. "One more song and then your mine, promise."

With one last kiss against her lips he tore back on to the stage, playing his guitar as he walked.

_Baby, baby I forgot your name,_

_I should have known it._

_Baby, baby, think I lost my phone,_

_I know I've blown it._

_Outta money at the ATM,_

_I kinda doubt it._

_Tell your girl, call a few more friends,_

_Or forget about it._

_Staying up until the kingdom came,_

_Got so much time to waste._

_Staying up until the kingdom came,_

_Don't care how long this takes._

_Knowing is half the bottle, na na na._

_Knowing is half the bottle, na na na._

_Knowing is half the bottle, na na na._

_Knowing is half the bottle, na na na._

_Baby, baby, I can't find my keys,_

_I've got to crash soon._

_Let's get outta here while your two friends,_

_Are still in the bathroom._

_Baby, baby, we can skip this tab,_

_I know the doorguy._

_Baby, baby, should we call a cab,_

_Or did your friend drive?_

_Staying up until the kingdom came,_

_Got so much time to waste._

_Staying up until the kingdom came,_

_Don't care how long this takes._

_Knowing is half the bottle, na na na._

_Knowing is half the bottle, na na na._

_Knowing is half the bottle, na na na._

_Knowing is half the bottle, na na na._

_Staying up until the kingdom came,_

_Always looking for a bad mistake._

_Staying up until the kingdom came,_

_Always looking for a heart to break_

_Staying up until the kingdom came,_

_Got so much time to waste._

_Staying up until the kingdom came,_

_Don't care how long this takes._

"Thank you Los Angeles!"

_Knowing is half the bottle, na na na._

_Knowing is half the bottle, na na na._

_Knowing is half the bottle, na na na._

_Knowing is half the bottle, na na na._

_Knowing, na na na na._

_Knowing, na na na na._

_Knowing, na na na na._

_Knowing._

Spike rushed off of the stage and back over to Buffy, she was practically shaking with excitement as he pulled her to him again. "We've got one more night," he said, "let's make it count."

000000000000

They crashed in to Spike's apartment like a hurricane, slamming the door behind them without a single thought or care given to any of his neighbors. Within seconds the ritualistic shedding of clothes had started as the two pawed at each other like wild animals as their tongues danced together within the confines of their open mouths. Spike picked Buffy up by her bottom, slamming her against the wooden door.

"Been waiting to do this all night, luv." He said as his lips moved skillfully to her neck.

Buffy gasped as she reached for his hair, pushing his face in to the crook her neck. As she sat pinned between the door and his body, she could feel the erection that was fighting for freedom from his tight pants. She pulled her shirt off quickly, throwing it to the floor and leaving Spike with a wonderful view of the strapless leopard print bra she had been wearing beneath it.

He looked at her with a wicked grin and a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Hope the bottoms match that, pet."

"Guess you'll just have to find out for yourself." She said, raising an eyebrow in the sexiest way he'd ever seen.

"Bloody tease." He groaned as he tore them away from the door. He took a few long strides over to the kitchen counter, sitting her on top of it and moving back to kiss her delicate little lips as his fingers easily worked the zipper of her leather pants. Buffy kicked her heels off easily just in time for him to slowly, tormentingly slowly, pull the second skin known as pants from her legs.

From where he was knelt down at her feet, he took a moment to look her hair had been taken from its ponytail somewhere between the car and the apartment and he was happy to see that the set of undergarments she was wearing did in fact match. She was a bloody dream come true, the sexiest thing he had ever seen and a heart made of solid gold.

He caught her ankle in his hand and slowly began moving it upward as he left soft kisses in its wake. "Love these legs." He whispered as he went on his merry way. When he was just above her knee, however, he stopped and glanced up at her, silently asking for permission. When he saw her lean back on the counter, he took that as his answer and his hands immediately found the seams of her g-string.

He pulled the garment off of her, balling them up in his hand and sticking them in his pocket as a little souvenir from the night's events. Before she even had the time to miss him, she felt the soft tongue move along her slick opening in a wonderful way. She gripped at the side of the counter, squeezing it in her hand with all of her might just to keep control.

"Ah, Spike." She moaned as his tongue went to work on her clit, tapping against it rapidly and filling her with the familiar warmth that she so craved. The sensation only grew when she felt him slide a finger inside of her, pumping it in and out of her at a quick pace. Within moments she felt her legs start to tremble as she met her first release of the night, Spike never stopping his movements as she rode out her orgasm.

"Enjoyed that, didn't you pet?" He asked as she gasped for air, skin flushed and sweaty, only able to respond to him with a short nod. He chuckled softly as he stood back up and over her, landing little kisses along various parts of her body as he went. "Good, cuz we're just getting started here, luv. Before the nights out, you won't even be able to walk from what I do to ya."

He lifted her from the counter, setting her gently on the floor and making sure to have one strong arm wrapped around her just in case her legs gave out. Without any warning, Buffy's strength returned to her and he found himself shoved quickly away from her as he fell in to a strategically placed chair.

"What's all this, then?" Spike asked as she sauntered over to him, unhooking her bra and letting it fall to the floor as she went.

"Well," she said as she straddled her naked body over his legs, "I'm naked and your still fully clothed." She lowered her lips to his ear. "We need to fix that." There was a soft popping sound as she pulled the two sides of his buttoned shirt away from one another. "And that's payback to what you did to my shirt in the car the other day."

"Oh, hush," he whispered as she tilted his head backwards against the back of the chair, "you loved every second of it."

Buffy kissed her way down his neck and to his muscled chest. "I did," she admitted as she continued to kiss down his body, "but paybacks a bitch. I'm not the only one who can get weak in the knees."

She looked up at him, green eyes meeting half lidded blue ones, as she undid the button on his jeans and slid the zipper down with her teeth. She wasn't surprised to see that he wasn't wearing anything beneath his pants as she made quick work of shedding them from his body. His eyes fluttered shut as her hot mouth covered his tip before swirling her tongue around it. Truth be told, she had a terrible gag reflex and Spike was quite a bit larger than what she had been used to, so she took his shaft in to her tiny hand, moving it up and down and stroking him as she pulled as much as she could in to her mouth.

Spike was in heaven, this was perfect. His hand laid to rest softly in her hair as she continued pumping him with both her hand and her mouth, never once trying to force her head down further than she wanted to go. As she pulled away slightly and blew cool air on to his tip, he felt his release getting closer.

No way was he going out like this.

He gently used her hair to pull her away, a signal she recognized for what it was as he pulled her back to face him before kissing her gently, both getting a taste of themselves on the others lips.

"Want to take this to the bedroom?" He asked.

Buffy bit her lip as her eyes met his. "What's stopping us from doing it right here?" She asked.

"No," he said as he kissed her again, "you're too good to be shagged on a kitchen floor."

He picked her up quickly in to his arms, carrying her bridal style to his bedroom and putting her down on the bed. The tone from the kitchen escapades was gone now, they weren't just going to 'shag', as he had put it, they could both feel that this was more than that. This was going to be making love.

He kissed her softly as he laid her back on the bed, silently thanking God that she was on the pill and he wouldn't have to fiddle with a rubber. The hand that had momentarily found its home on her ribcage began to move steadily downwards, hooking behind her knee and furthering the distance between her two legs as he moved to position himself between them. He entered her slowly as he rested his forehead against hers, both breathing heavily as he began to move in and out of her at a steady pace. He kissed her lips again as her hand found the back of his neck and curled its fingers in the hair at the base of his scalp. After a few moments Spike quickened his pace, Buffy meeting his hips thrust for thrust.

"Sodding hell, Buff," he let out in a whisper, "you feel so good."

Buffy responded with a soft moan as she felt the pressure begin to build up again. She knew she wasn't going to last much longer, and by the sounds her lover was making she was pretty sure he wouldn't be either. Spike felt her walls clamp down around him as she found her second release of the night and found it to be his own undoing. He felt his seed spill inside her as he let out a soft moan, continuing to pump in and out of her as he did so. He stayed positioned above her for a few moments, placing a light kiss on her forehead before rolling off to the side. As they both lay in the bed, breathing heavily as they basked in their aftermath, Spike couldn't help but glance over at the clock. It read half past two in the morning.

He pulled her over to him, her head laying lightly on his chest as he held her tightly in his arms, all the while thinking that in just a few short hours he would be leaving this beautiful blonde angel behind to go on tour with a bunch of dudes and bitchy chick band.

He shook his head, ridding the thoughts from his mind. Right now he was with Buffy.

Right now, he was perfect.

000000000000

**Spike leaves in the next chapter. I am almost as sad as you guys are. Let me know what you thought of this, I'm dying to hear it.**


	13. Chapter 13

**I am so sorry for the extreme delay here. Real life came up and kicked my ass this past week and I just had absolutely no free time. Don't worry, everything is back to normal now and the chapters should be coming in more regularly again.**

**Anyway...**

**You guys are nothing short of awesome. I'm glad everyone enjoyed that citrus sweet I left you at the end of the last chapter. Thanks again to my faithful reviewers, as well as a few new ones. **

**Also, I am looking for a beta reader. If anyone is interested please let me know.**

**, that cracks me up and makes me super happy. Thank you so much for sharing. Look out for a little shout out to you in the chapter. ;)**

**LithiumReaper, put an extra little scene in here for you. :)**

**Indigo-Night-Wisp, damn computers! You're wonderful, and the first reviewer of this chapter!**

**Chapter 14.**

Buffy awoke the next morning still wrapped in her lover's arms. Their legs were entwined intricately and one strong arm was wrapped around her waist from behind her. She rolled over slowly, trying not to wake him as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Morning, luv." He said in a gruff whisper. So much for the brilliant let-Spike-sleep plan.

"Morning." She responded in a tired whisper of her own.

He pulled her closer in to his chest and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "How'd you sleep?"

She laughed softly. "I had a dream that Willow and I kidnapped you and Oz and wouldn't let you leave for the tour. We tied you to the beds in our dorm."

"The one kind of false imprisonment I truly wouldn't mind." He chuckled. "Did Bob still go?"

"I'm not sure." She answered. "I remember him trying to sell Willow a hotdog, but that's about it."

"Yeah," Spike said, "sounds like something Bob would do."

They sat in silence for a few moments with their eyes still shut, both enjoying what they knew would be their last morning together for quite some time. Just thinking about it made him feel sick, he had no idea how he was going to make it through saying goodbye to her at the airport. He was secretly very grateful that Willow would be going through the situation with her, at least she wouldn't be alone. Seeing the moment as right, and knowing there probably wouldn't be another one before he had to leave, he rolled over and grabbed something out of the drawer of his nightstand.

Feeling his motion she opened her eyes slowly, rubbing away the sleep that still lingered in them before fixing her gaze on his still naked form. He sat near the edge of the bed, the sheet laying lazily over his lower body and he held a small box in his hands. It was wrapped in shiny black paper with a large red bow in the corner. She sat up in the bed slowly, wrapping the sheet around her body to keep up some small bit of modesty. She tilted her head slightly to the side and watched as his fingers nervously fiddled with the box.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"I have something for you." He said as he handed the box to her.

Buffy took the box in to her hands and unwrapped it quickly. She opened the red jewelery box inside and gasped at what she saw. It was a beautiful silver necklace with a small diamond resting on what almost looked to be a silver ribbon.

"It's not much," he said quietly, "but I wanted you to have something to remember me by."

Buffy couldn't help the tears that welled up in her eyes as he spoke. "It's beautiful." She said.

A genuine smile lit his features as he watched her reaction to his gift. He'd hoped that she would like it, that she would wear it while he was gone and remember just how special she was to him, and by the look on her face and the unshed tears in her eyes he believed his mission was accomplished.

Her eyes flashed up from the necklace and met with his own. "Can you put it on me?" She asked.

His smile widened. "Of course, luv. Turn around." She did as she was told and he gently pulled the necklace from its packaging before handing it back to her. She moved her hair away from the back of her neck and he clasped the necklace with ease. He grabbed a small mirror off of the bedside table and handed it over to her.

She looked at the necklace in the mirror, it was perfect. The chain was just long enough for it to fall just above her breasts and the pendant was large enough to be seen, but small enough to not be overwhelming. "I love it, Spike, I'll never take it off." She said quietly.

He smiled as he placed a gentle kiss on the exposed flesh on the back of her neck, the small gesture sending shivers down her spine. "There's more." He whispered.

Her eyes flashed over to his in the small mirror, a look of surprise on her face. "More?"

He nodded, resting his chin on her shoulder and wrapping his arms around her and reaching for the box that she had been balancing on her knee. He took it in his hands and removed the packaging that lined the bottom of the box and threw it off to the side exposing the key hidden beneath it.

"That," he practically whispered in to her ear, "is a key to my apartment."

Buffy stared at the piece of metal in the box with a smile on her face and tears in her eyes for the second time this morning. "I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything," he said, "just take it and know that you can come here whenever you want. I need someone to keep an eye on this place and you don't need to be taking a bus home from work at two in the morning."

She turned around in a flash and without any warning her lips were on his in a heated kiss. Spike placed a hand on the small of her back and pushed himself forward, laying her down softly on the pillows beneath her. It was times like these when sleeping naked really had its advantages.

"What time is it?" She asked.

"Almost ten." He answered before his lips met her's again.

"When's your flight?" She asked.

"Boards at two," he answered, "we've still got some time."

"Time enough for you to give me a proper goodbye?" She asked as she lifted her hips to rub against the erection already stirring between his legs.

"Aw, baby," he said reaching a hand behind her knee and hiking it up and around his body, "there's always time for that."

000000000000

Faith rolled off of Bob and landed on the mattress beneath them with a soft thud. "Haven't had a ride like that in I don't know how long."

Bob smirked, putting his hands behind his head and looking up at the ceiling. "Yeah, I get that a lot."

"Don't start getting all cocky on me now," she said with a smile, "I said you were good, I didn't say you were _that good." _Faith stood and made quick work of finding her bra and underwear next to the bed. She could feel Bob's eyes on her as she began to slip them on to her body.

"Where are you going?" Bob asked, a look of bewilderment on his face.

"Home." She answered as she pulled her shirt over her head.

"But, I, ya know," Bob said quickly, "I was hoping we would..."

"What?" Faith said with a laugh as she pulled on her jeans. "Spend the day together? Take a walk along the beach?"

"No, but..."

"Look, Bobby, this was fun and all, but that's all it's gonna be." She said as she put on her shoes. "I'm not the relationship type of girl. I do what I want and I'm not in to being tied down."

"Neither am I." Bob said quickly.

"Then what did you think this was gonna be?" Faith asked glancing back at him.

"Well I was hoping a little more than a one time thing." He said.

Faith's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Bob sighed, wrapping the sheet around his waist and moving toward her. "I was thinking that, you know, whenever I'm in town we could..." He made a circular motion with his arms and leaving it for her to fill in the blanks.

"Oh," Faith said pulling her hair up in to a messy ponytail, "I guess we could do that."

Bob's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Faith nodded, a slow smile making its way on to her lips. "Yeah."

"Good," he said with a smile, "now get out of my apartment."

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"And then she just left and yeah." Bob said as he sat with his bandmate's and their girlfriends in terminal 7 of the airport.

"This is Faith we're talking about here," Xander said from his spot next to Anya, "this is as close to a relationship I've ever heard of her getting involved in. Usually it's just a hit and run kind of thing. Hit it and quit it, on to the next one."

Bob sat back in the chair, folding his arms behind his head with a sly smile on his face. "See that? You guys aren't the only ones with chicks waiting to bone you when you get home."

"Must you be so entirely vulgar all the time?" Giles asked from his seat across from him.

"Just keeping it real, Rupe." Bob answered.

"Well I think it's neat." Anya said proudly.

"Thank you, Anya!" Bob said happily.

"You're welcome." She answered with a short nod.

Spike shook his head in slight disbelief before looking over at the seat next to him. Buffy sat with her left leg slung over the right one with one hand in her lap and the fingers of the other one laced with his. He gave her hand a quick squeeze and she looked over without missing a beat. He cocked his head to the side and pointed with his eyes to the far corner of the terminal. She nodded and the two stood and made their way to the bench lining the large window overlooking the runway.

Spike had been determined to have one last moment alone with her, but now he was at a complete loss as to what to say. They stood across from one another as he held both of her hands in his. The tension was thick enough to be cut with a knife as the butterflies in his stomach reached new levels with every passing minute. Neither knew what to say to the other in this very important moment in their relationship and, truthfully, strong enough words didn't exist to convey the wide range of emotions they were feeling.

Buffy focused her eyes directly at their joined hands. "This is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be." She said softly. "I knew it was going to be hard, but not this hard."

He nodded slowly. "I know."

Mustering up a little bit of courage, Buffy raised her eyes to meet his. She could already feel the familiar sting of unshed tears welling up in her eyes and she was hell bent on holding them inside until he left, he didn't need the added burden of seeing her cry. "Are you going to call me when you land?" She asked.

"Of course, luv," he said, "tonight and every other."

She nodded and looked away quickly, blinking rapidly and trying to buy herself a few more dry eyed moments. Spike's arms were around her in an instant and that was all it took for a few to fall and begin their trail down her cheeks. He held her close, one hand on the back of her head and the other lightly caressing the small of her back.

"Please, luv, don't cry," he soothed, "I'll be back before you even have the time to miss me."

She let out a bitter laugh. "I miss you already and you haven't even left yet."

He placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. "I know."

"Now boarding flight 147 to New York."

Spike sighed before whispering. "That's my cue."

Buffy nodded as she pulled away slowly. "Oh no," she said with a laugh, "I got your shirt all wet."

Spike chuckled. "No worries, pet, just taking a little bit of you with me." With a hand on each side of her face, he pulled her to him and gently caressed her lips with his own. The kiss wasn't as heated as most of the ones they shared had been, but the passion in the sadness behind it was enough to make her head spin. He pulled away slowly but kept his lips close to hers, quietly speaking against them. "Promise me you'll never forget me, because if I thought you would I'd never leave."

Buffy cocked her head to the side, brows furrowed in confusion as her eyes met his again. "I've heard that somewhere before."

He smiled and knew he had been caught. "A.A. Milne, author of Winnie the Pooh."

She laughed as her lips met his again. "I could never forget you, Spike."

He pulled away and looked directly in to her eyes again, a look of mock seriousness on his face. "Don't go falling for any other rock stars while I'm gone."

"Yeah, you either!" She retorted quickly.

"Trust me, baby," he said quietly, "these eyes are for you and you alone." He lowered his lips to hers in one last kiss before grabbing his carry on bag and making his way to the terminal door. Buffy watched as he handed the attendant his ticket before taking the last few steps in to the doorway. Just as the door was closing she saw him turn, kiss his hand, and make a throwing motion in her general direction. Feeling more lame than she had in her entire life, she acted as if she'd caught it and both laughed softly as the doors to the walkway closed.

As she walked with her friends back out of the airport, her phone vibrated quietly in her pocket. She pulled it out and opened it to read the text that she had just received.

_From Spike:_

_This isn't goodbye, it's see you later. _

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The first half of the car ride back to Roth was made in almost complete silence. Buffy and Willow were each in their own worlds and Xander was solely focused on skillfully weaving through the downtown traffic. He had offered to take them out to eat after they had left the airport, but neither of the girls were really feeling up for it. Willow had made plans to grade some papers for one of their teachers, something Buffy saw as a distraction from what she must be feeling, and Buffy just wanted to get back to their room.

"So, Xander," Willow said in an attempt to break the silence, "you and Anya seemed pretty snuggly wuggly back there."

Buffy smiled as she looked at him from the front passenger seat. "I noticed that, too. What's that all about?"

"Nothing." He answered a little too quickly.

"Well, that is obviously less than the truth." Willow said laughingly.

"Yeah, come on, Xan!" Buffy said. "We're your best friends! You have to tell us!"

"Alright fine." He said. "We may have kissed a few times."

"And?" Both girls asked in unison.

"And, well, maybe a little more a few other times."

"How much more?" Buffy asked.

Xander didn't answer, he merely glanced over at her in a way that told her everything she needed to know.

"Oh, my God!" Buffy and Willow screamed together again.

"You and Anya?" Willow asked in a sort of happy shock.

"All of my friends are getting with Passions members, I must be some kind of trendsetter." Buffy commented.

"Yeah, maybe we can set Giles up with Joyce!"

"Xander!" Buffy yelled.

"What? I'm just saying the man needs a little love, too." He explained.

"With my mother?" She asked.

"Sure," he shrugged, "why not?"

"She's married!" Willow answered.

"Oh, since when does that matter in Hollywood?"

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True to his word, Spike had called Buffy the second he had gotten things settled in New York. The bus had apparently not arrived yet and they had gotten a couple of rooms in a hotel. Everyone else had decided to go out that night and grab some food at some restaurant that Buffy had never heard of before, but Spike had elected to stay behind. He said that he was tired from the flight and the lack of sleep from the night before, but honestly he just wanted a night to himself and to call his girl. The conversation was nothing groundbreaking or exciting, but it was all they had for the time being.

The next morning Buffy and Willow went about their normal routine just like any other day. They got ready for their classes, left the dorms together, and stopped in the same coffee shop they always had. It was strange, they had each had a few weeks of living in such a different lifestyle and now everything that was once so normal to them seemed so... not.

The tiny bell on the coffee house door rang, effectively gaining Buffy's attention and pulling her out of her own head. She looked over to see who had come inside and immediately felt her heart fall to the pit of her stomach. Standing not even ten feet away from her were Angel and Dru. She turned back to the counter quickly but she knew it was only a matter of seconds before he would approach her.

"We can leave if you want, Buff." Willow whispered.

She shook her head. "No, I am not running away from him like a dog with it's tail between it's legs. We'll get our drinks and then keep walking to class just like we do every other day."

"Okay."

They sat in uncomfortable silence and tension for a few moments before, just as Buffy had expected, Angel made his way over to them after pulling a chair out for Dru and instructing her to hold their table. "Buffy, just the person I wanted to see."

Buffy took a deep breath but otherwise made no sign of paying him a speck of attention. Regardless of her obviously ignoring him, he continued as if she had welcomed him in to a conversation with open arms.

"Talked to Harmony yesterday," he continued, "she said that she hasn't seen Spike Pratt around the dorms lately. What happened, did you guys split up?"

"No," she answered flatly, "the guys left for New York yesterday to start off their tour. Spike and I are just fine, we're very happy and he'll be back in about a month."

Angel scoffed loudly, the way he always did when he heard something that he deemed stupid. It was a sound that Buffy had become quite accustomed to when they had been dating. "Yeah, sure he will. Anyway, I talked to my lawyer the other day and we're planning to go all the way with the lawsuit. He seems to think any judge in the area would love to make an example of him, show that even celebrities have to follow the law."

"Awesome." Buffy nodded slowly as she tucked both of her lips inside her mouth. The last thing she wanted to do was give him any type of satisfaction from getting to her.

"Yeah, I wouldn't worry about that too much, though." He said. Chances are you won't even be around to see the end of it."

"Oh, yeah?" Buffy asked in the same monotonous tone as the barista handed over the drinks that Willow had ordered for the two of them. Willow handed hers over and she took a long drink hoping that it would keep her from losing her cool.

"Yeah," he answered, "you'll never keep his attention for that long."

Buffy laughed softly as she moved the drink away from her lips. "And what, pray tell, makes you so sure of that?"

"For starters," he said as he dipped his finger in to the drink, "you couldn't even keep mine and all you had to worry about were other girls on campus. He's going to be gone for months at a time, all over the world, with tons of different kinds of fun throwing themselves at him." He licked his finger clean of the liquid and whipped cream mixture he had taken from her. "That's pretty good."

Buffy cocked her head to the side, a sickeningly sweet smile gracing her lips. "You like it?" She asked.

Angel's brows furrowed as he chuckled softly at her abrupt change of attitude. "I do."

Her smile widened as she glanced back down at the drink, tucking her hair behind her ear before looking back up at him with a far too kind look in her eyes. "You can have it." Without even giving him the chance to realize what she was doing, she tossed the contents of her drink in his direction, effectively soaking him in the hot liquid.

"What the hell?" He screamed as he jumped back, trying in vain to wipe the mess off of his clothes with his bare hands as Dru jumped up from the table and rushed over to him.

"Fuck you, Angel." Just to add insult to injury, she threw the empty cup at him as she and Willow walked swiftly out of the coffee house doors.

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"I left a diagram on the board that I didn't quite get to finish explaining last time," Buffy's Chemistry professor said as he pointed to the board, "I'm going to save that for the end of today if we have time. Anyway, today I want to talk about atoms."

Buffy was hardly paying attention and secretly regretted even attempting classes today. Her mind was a million miles away and absolutely nothing was sticking with her. She couldn't stop thinking about what Angel had said to her in the coffee shop. What if he was right? What if he did get bored waiting for her? What if in a drunken stupor out with the guys he decided to take on some random chick he met at a show? She knew she was just beating a dead horse, but who in their right mind wouldn't be worried?

"Are you sure that's her?" She heard a feminine voice ask from behind her.

"Yes, I'm sure," Harmony's unmistakeable whispering answered, "she lives in my building and he was there with her like all the time."

"And you're sure they broke up?" The first voice asked.

"She was in her room last night by herself crying, what else could have happened?" Harmony asked.

"Maybe she was just having a bad day. I mean, you cried when you got a stain on your baby blue halter."

"That was different!" Harmony snapped back. "Besides, why would he stay with her anyway? She's so plain and ordinary. A guy like that needs a girl that will do anything for him, including go with him on tour."

"Do you think that's why they split up?"

"Probably," Harmony said, "I mean, he must be loaded. Who in their right mind would actually stay in school when they have a boyfriend who can support them? They have to have broken up."

Buffy couldn't take it anymore. Without wanting to hear another word she gathered her things and practically fled from the classroom with not even a passing glance at the gossiping girls behind her. She didn't know where she was going, not consciously anyway, but the next thing she knew she was boarding a bus heading to the one place that still had a little bit of him left in it.

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"Hey, it's me." She said in to her phone as she walked out of the elevator. She had really wanted to talk to him but of course she had gotten the machine. "I know you're probably busy right now, but I just really wanted to talk to you. Um, just call me back when you get the chance. Bye."

She put the key in to the lock and she opened the door with no effort whatsoever. She had no idea what had brought her here, how her subconscious had made such a rash decision without her even being aware of it, but as she walked inside and her eyes moved over the room she knew it was the right one.

Everything was exactly the same as it had been the last morning that she had woken up next to him. The pillow she had thrown at him on the way out still sat lazily on the floor by the door, the pack of tasty cakes he had taken one from still sat open on the kitchen counter and the DVD box for X-Men was sitting on top of the television.

She closed the door behind her and made her way toward his room. The bed was still unmade and the socks he had been wearing were thrown on the floor next to it. Almost unthinkingly she removed her shoes and climbed inside, pulling the covers around her and laying her head on the pillow he would have normally used.

Within a matter of minutes she was fast asleep.

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Buffy was awoken a few hours later by the feeling of her phone vibrating repeatedly in her pocket. She glanced over at the clock on his nightstand and was surprised to see that it was going on seven already. She grabbed the phone from her pocket, a little disappointed by the name she saw flash across the screen.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Hey Buffy, it's Clem." His voice rang loudly from the phone.

"Hey." She answered as she attempted to smooth out her no doubt unruly hair.

"I was wondering if you would be able to come in tonight and cover for Cordelia. She has that stomach flu that's going around and can't make it." He explained.

Buffy rolled her eyes, Cordelia didn't have the stomach flu. She had told her just last week about the concert that she was undoubtedly going to tonight. Typically this would have been more aggravating to her, she never called out unless she was practically on her death bed, but what else was she going to do tonight?

"Sure, what time should I be there?"

000000000000

It was a particularly slow night at The Shadow Gallery and Buffy was currently standing behind the bar just waiting for her one and only table to need something. Her head was resting on her hand and she had pulled one of the stools up to the bar to sit on. Truth be told she wasn't in the best of moods, she had gone through a particularly rough past twenty four hours and she just couldn't wait for the night to be over. Faith and Riley were the only other two working and Clem had decided that it was the perfect night for catching up on some paperwork.

What made it worse was the fact that she hadn't heard from Spike all day. He had promised he'd call her every night but here it was, the first one past his promise, and not even a single text. She understood that he was probably busy but was a single thirty second phone call or measly 'hello' text too much to ask?

She saw motion out of the corner of her eye and turned to see Riley tossing a bottle of Jack Daniels in the air. She watched him spin around quickly and catch the bottle behind his back before slamming it on the bar and pouring a quick shot. He smiled as he looked over his handiwork, a small shot with a very big build up, before glancing over at her.

"Pretty cool, huh?" He asked.

Buffy nodded slowly, but didn't say a single word.

Riley tilted his head to the side as he looked her over. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." She lied. He coked an eyebrow at her, obviously not buying it. "What?"

"You." He said taking the few steps needed to reach her. "You're not yourself tonight, what's up?"

She sighed. "Spike left yesterday."

He rested his elbows on the bar and leaned forward. "Left as in..."

"Went on tour," she said, "he won't be back for a month."

"Well," Riley said slowly, "that's got to be difficult."

Buffy nodded. "There are all these rumors going around and everywhere I go people are whispering about it."

"They're nosy," Riley said, "it's just how people are. I'll admit, I was a little curious about the two of you and I'm not even in to the band or whatever. I just have the sense to not bother you with it."

"Thank God for that." She practically whispered.

He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Just don't let them get to you."

"It's hard not to." She said.

"I know," he replied, "but they're all just jealous. I mean, hell, even I'm a little jealous of the two of you."

Buffy's brows furrowed as she looked at him in disbelief. "Really?"

"Yeah!" He said. "Who wouldn't be? Girls look at you and see this lucky girl who is dating a man that they look up to as some sort of God," he explained, "and every guy is looking at him wondering how he got so lucky to have a girl like you."

Buffy laughed. "Oh, come on. I'm really not that special."

"Are you kidding me?" Riley asked. "You're smart, pretty, funny, and you can take care of yourself. What's not to love?"

Picking this to be the right moment, her phone began to buzz in a way that alerted her to a call. She extracted it from her pocket and felt her heart speed up the moment she saw the five letter name on the screen. She glanced back at Riley and noticed that he had been looking over her shoulder. She would have said something about it but she really didn't want to miss his call. "Would you mind watching my table for a few minutes?"

"Sure, go for it." He said with a smile.

Buffy practically ran out from behind the bar and made her way outside to the employee lot. "Hello?" She answered.

"Hello, luv." His voice said from the speaker.

"About time you called." She played it off as if it were a joke, but in reality she was a little bit upset.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that." He said quietly. "The bus finally showed up today and then I had a couple of interviews to take care of. Haven't really had a moment to myself since this morning."

"Not even enough time to send a text?" She asked.

Spike wasn't stupid, he could hear the way she said it and knew that she was upset with him. If the situation had been reversed he'd have been peeved, too. "Listen, Buff, I know your a little sore at me right now and you have every right to be. I should have called earlier but every time I tried something would come up. It's the first day of tour, ducks, we're all just really busy."

She sighed as she ran a hand through her hair, pushing her long hair away from her face. "I know, I'm sorry. It's really not your fault that I'm in this mood and I'm taking it out on you."

"I got your message, is everything alright?" He asked, his concern was evident even through the phone.

"Yeah," she said, "just a bad day."

"Tell me about it, pet." He responded softly.

"There's just a bunch of know it all's running around spreading rumors and stuff. Harmony and her little clique have been telling everyone that we broke up." She explained. "And then to top it all off I ran in to Angel and Dru at the coffee shop."

She could hear him shift his position on whatever he was sitting on. "How'd that go?"

"I threw my drink at my him."

That was all it took for Spike to completely lose himself in laughter. Buffy couldn't help the smile that formed on her face as she thought back to the look on his face when she had done it. It was a cross between a deer in headlights and a child about to have a temper tantrum. She bit her lip to keep herself from laughing along with him and instead took the silent route of just shaking her head at her own antics.

"Sorry, pet, but that's the best news I've heard all day." He said as he finally managed to control himself.

"Well, he started running his mouth about us and then he had the nerve to shove his finger in the whipped cream. He'd already ruined it by that point so I figured I'd let him finish the thing." She said quickly.

"Felt good, didn't it?" He asked.

She laughed softly. "It did."

"That's my girl!" He said happily. "I've never been more proud of anyone in my life, I must have rubbed off on you."

"You've done more than that to me." She said without thinking.

"Now don't start that now, luv." He said in mock anger. "I've got to go on in a few minutes and the last thing I need is to be distracted by the thought of you and me going for a rough and tumble."

Buffy laughed softly. "Yeah, I'm at work, too. Not exactly the best place to be having one of those conversations."

There were a few seconds of silence before he spoke again, the lightheartedness of the conversation slowly dissipating and a slight overcast of seriousness taking its place. "I miss you."

Buffy smiled sadly to herself. "I miss you, too."

"You've been on my mind all day, can't stop thinking about you." He said with an edge of sadness in his voice.

"I know, I'm in the same boat." She replied in a similar fashion.

"I've got to bring you out here with me, kitten, you'd love it." He said. "I'll have to wait until we go somewhere good, maybe Vegas or Atlantic city. You have a passport?"

"Uh huh," she responded, "I went to Cancun with my parents when I was eighteen and had to get one."

"Good," he said, "that means I can take you to London with me."

"I've always wanted to go there!" She said excitedly. "Willow and I almost went last year but it was just too expensive."

"Anywhere you want to go, luv, I'll take you there. All you've got to do is say the word." She heard someone in the background give them their five minute warning and knew that her time talking with him was over for now. "Listen, babe, I've got to go. Call me when you get home, alright?"

"Okay," she said, "have fun."

"Always do. Talk to you later, luv."

The line promptly went dead and Buffy shoved her phone back in to her pocket before heading back inside. She looked over at the bar and was thrilled when she saw Xander and Willow sitting there talking with Riley. With a smile on her face and a skip in her step, she made her way up to her friends.

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Spike sat his phone on the shelf of his bunk and made his way back out in the cool night air of New York City. As usual everyone else was standing between the two buses smoking and talking the way old friends would. The stage hands and roadies were all moving things in and out of the venue as they set up for Flesh of the Passions to take the stage. Spike walked up and joined the group as he grabbed a beer from one of the large coolers.

"How's Buffy?" Darla asked. He could tell immediately that she was about half past buzzed and was on the threshold of flat out drunk. He knew drunk Darla pretty well and knew that the rest of the night would be full of surprises thanks to her.

"She's fine," he answered as he popped the lid off of his beer, "just had one hell of a day."

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, people being cunts spreading rumors that we split." He took a swig of his beer. "Then she threw a drink at her ex."

"Good for her!" Darla exclaimed.

Spike took a swig from his bottle as he nodded in agreement. "I'm just worried about her."

"Why's that?" Darla asked.

"It's just gonna be really hard on her, you know? What if she decides she wants something else? What if she finds better?" He took another quick swig from the bottle. "I mean, fuck, she deserves better."

Darla put and arm around Spike's shoulders and gave him a quick squeeze. "Listen Spikey boy, I've met the girl once and I could tell how smitten the little thing is with you. Trust me, she's not going anywhere. Us girls can tell."

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Yeah, and don't you do anything stupid either! You fuck this up and there will be a ton of other people ready and willing to fill your spot." She said releasing him and taking a step away.

Spike gave her a crooked smile. "You first on that list?"

"Not really my usual type, but I'm pretty far up there." She explained as she grabbed the beer from his hand and claimed it as her own. "Now Oz's girl on the other hand..."

"Darla." Spike warned.

"Oh, come on! That girl definitely has a little bit of curiosity in her and I'd just to be the one to bring it out of her." She explained in full seriousness.

"Leave her be, Dar." Spike said as he began to make his way over to the door.

"Oz doesn't even know I'm gay! It would be perfect!"

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**Not entirely sure if I'm 100% happy with it, but please review and let me know how you felt. Kind of a set up chapter for where the story is going.**

**Love!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you for all the wonderful reviews from the last chapter. Honestly, you guys make me so happy I could die.**

**The day after I made Darla gay I met Julie Benz and all I could think the entire time was "I made you gay. I made you gay. I made you gay." I don't think she knew. **

**I also met Clare Kramer. She is really sweet and definitely not Glory-like at all. I feel bad about making her character so insane in this fic but it is necessary. I am a huge Lady GaGa fan, but she keeps popping up as inspiration for Glory's character. Get ready for the craziness in upcoming chapters.**

**Nick Brendon, however, is exactly like Xander. He and his brother were insanely awesome and a lot of fun doing karaoke. **

**Chapter 14.**

It had been just over a week since Spike had left and slowly but surely the couple was getting used to the new long distance characteristic that their relationship was forced to take on. They had fallen in to a pretty steady routine throughout the last few days and the arrangement seemed to work well on both ends. He would call her at a quarter to seven every morning, before every show, and then again the moment he stepped foot on the bus to turn in for the night. There had been a few times where those goodnight calls had came pretty late, he did have to socialize and keep up a certain reputation, but neither would even think about missing a single chance to cash in on the only bit of a connection they could get through these hard times. He was hell bent on being not only the first voice she heard in the morning, but also the last she heard at night. In any normal relationship this would seem a bit obsessive, but what they had together was very far from normal.

The only sense of normality came from her friends. She and Willow were both in the same boat and the two unwittingly stayed strong for one another. She thanked God for Willow every day and she knew that without her being there things would have been a lot harder. Xander made sure to keep the girls busy and was always around for a good laugh or a shoulder to whine on just like he had always been. Riley, on the other hand, was a brand new member of their little gang and they still weren't exactly sure what role he was to fill. He had a crush on Buffy, that was obvious from the first day that they had actually talked at The Shadow Gallery, but the subject had never caused any issues and didn't seem like a problem for the time being. Buffy was practically oblivious to it and Xander and Willow both knew that she would never be unfaithful to Spike.

"You'd be an idiot to try anything." Xander had told him the one and only time it had been brought up. "She has a boyfriend and said boyfriend would kick your ass for even looking at her the wrong way."

Riley had nodded as he spoke and he knew it was true, he just didn't know how true. Spike had on more than one occasion asked Buffy about 'Captain Cardboard' and she knew that it was because of the stupid shot he had offered her on his last night in town. Buffy had continued to insist that it was nothing, he just wanted to get in the good graces of his new co-worker, but Spike had played that game before. In the end they both just had to agree to disagree and left it at that. He knew that he couldn't stop her from hanging out with her friends and he trusted her completely, but something about him still ruffled his well gelled feathers.

The next few weeks would be pretty busy for both of them. Spike's days were filled with shows, interviews, long bus rides, and the occasional plane trip to their next venue. He knew that wouldn't stop until the first leg of their tour was over and if he was being honest with himself he wouldn't want it any other way. Buffy, on the other hand, was trying her hardest to balance work, school, and her social life during one of the busiest times of her year. Finals would be starting in a week and the semester would be over in two. The amount of studying she had to look forward to was pretty intimidating, but not nearly as bad as the anxiety she had over moving back in to her house. Buffy had been pretty surprised when Willow had brought up the prospect of them renting their own place in LA, but the more she had thought about it the more she had grown to enjoy the idea.

"Do you think we could afford it?" Buffy asked.

Willow shrugged. "I mean it would be pretty tight, but my parents have been hinting at it being close to that time for a while and if you keep working the same amount of hours you do now I'm sure we could afford something."

That was all it took for the girls to make an official decision and in the absence of Spike and Oz, Xander and Riley had offered to go apartment hunting with them. Truth be told, the girls knew close to nothing about what to look out for in a potential home and Xander and Riley had each personally gone through it. They had all managed to be off work on Friday and decided that it would be the perfect day to begin their search.

"Where are you birds planning on looking?" Spike asked when Buffy had told him of their plan.

"Everywhere, I guess." Buffy answered. "We want to be in the city but still kind of close to the school, too."

"I remember when I was looking for apartments," he said, "check the corners of the closets and under the mattresses."

"What for?" Buffy asked.

"Spiders and bed bugs. I was about two signatures away from moving in to this tiny crib with a pest problem paying almost double what I do now."

"You were like a kid then," Buffy said, "Willow and I are adults."

"You're also women." He pointed out. "A lot of blokes are gonna try and take advantage of that, pet. You broads are a lot more trusting than a man is and are prone to fall for a charmers... charms."

"A charmers charms?" Buffy asked in a tone going along perfectly with her raised eyebrow. She chose not to tell him that Xander and Riley were going with them, it would just upset him and make him feel like he wasn't around enough.

"Oh, sod off." He said tiredly. "I can't be expected to be witty and creative all the time."

"IS THAT BUFFY?" She heard the unmistakeable voice of Bob fill the air. She could hear the two men struggle for possession of the phone and was actually surprised to hear Bob's victorious laughter fill her ear. "Hi Buffy-y-y." He slurred in to the phone.

"Hi Bob, how are you?" She asked.

"Fucking hammered mother fuckaaah!" He yelled.

Buffy laughed. "Well, obviously. Is my boyfriend behaving himself?"

"Aw yeah," he said slowly, "not even taking drinks from any skanks, you've got him wrapped honey. Spikey's fucking wrapped!"

Buffy laughed again. "Don't say that, it makes me feel like a controlling bitch."

"You're not a controlling bitch, Buff-a-saurus." He slurred. "He loves you, I love you, WE ALL LOVE YOU!"

"Fuck, Bob, give me the fucking phone!"

She heard another round of rustling and then a sad Bob say something about just wanting to talk to the Buff-a-saurus Rex before Spike obviously got the phone back. Spike practically knocked Bob off the bus before locking the door behind him to keep any more phone call intruders from entering the conversation.

"You'd be surprised how strong that bloody wanker is." He said as his voice returned to the phone.

"What is a Buff-a-saurus?" She asked.

"Uh, yeah," he said with a sigh, "Bob's apparently made up a nickname for you. He does that, too."

"Man of many talents."

"Only when he's drunk." Spike said, the last bits of anger finally leaving his voice.

There was a moment of silence as Buffy pulled back the comforter of her bed. She pulled her hair out of her ponytail and let it fall loosely around her shoulders as she slid between the sheets and made herself comfortable. She rested her head on her pillow and let out a relaxed sigh. "I miss falling asleep with you."

"So do I, baby," he practically whispered, "more than anything."

"I haven't had a good nights sleep since that last night with you." She admitted in a tired voice.

"I seem to remember a bit more than sleeping going on, luv." Spike chuckled and she could hear his bunk creak under his weight. "Want me to help you sleep?"

Buffy's brows furrowed. "How are you going to do that?" She asked.

"Trust me." He whispered. "Are you in your bed?"

"Yeah."

"Close your eyes, lay down, and relax." He kept his voice low and slow and she couldn't help but feel as if she was at some cheesy hypnotist show. "Are you relaxed?" He asked after a few seconds.

"Yeah." She responded in her normal tone.

"Buffy." He said in a warning tone.

"What?"

"You're not relaxing." He said exasperatedly.

"I am so!" She argued back.

"Buffy." He warned again.

"Alright, fine." She said as she found her comfy spot in her bed. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths as she tried to get herself to relax. It was hard to do things like this on command and just as she was about to give up, the sound of his soft and quiet humming filled her mind. It was a tune she somewhat recognized, but she couldn't place exactly what it was. She felt the tension and stress from the day ease out of her body and disappear in the air around her as his wordless voice filled her head. He was all she was focusing on as her mind painted pictures of his face in her mind.

"Just listen to me, pet." He said softly after a few moments. "Can you do that?"

"Uh huh." She whispered.

"Alright, luv, now imagine me climbing in to the bed next to you. Imagine the mattress dipping under my weight and feel me getting closer to you." He spoke slowly and steadily as he described exactly what he wanted her to feel and she played her part without question or worry. She was already beginning to surprise herself with just how realistic her imagination was making this already. "I'm behind you now and laying down beside you. You can feel the warmth of my body on your back as I get closer to you."

It was probably just the fact that she was halfway between dream and reality, but she could almost swear she felt him there next to her. The memories she had stored up in her mind without even realizing it were definitely just tricking her in to what she felt, but in this moment it was real, he was here with her and not a thousand miles away somewhere.

"You feel one of my arms wrap around your waist and I'm pulling you close to me." He could tell just by her silence that the little trick was working. Oz had told him about it years ago and in their teens the boys had practiced it with whatever girlfriends they had had at the time. "You roll over to face me," Spike smiled as he heard the springs of her mattress move as she turned, "and rest your head on my chest. I'm pulling you closer to me and kissing your hair softly. Can you feel it, Buff?"

He waited for a few silent moments but he knew no response was coming. She had been tired at the beginning of their conversation and it was nearing four in the morning. He chuckled softy to himself as he pushed the end button on his phone, sending her a quick goodnight text before sitting it on the shelf of his bunk and rolling over, taking his extra pillow in to his arms and holding it in Buffy's rightful place.

Why should she be the only one partaking in the fantasy he had created?

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Buffy awoke the next morning with her phone still resting on her cheek. With a flash of sudden embarrassment, she grabbed the thing off of her face and quickly slammed it on to her nightstand. She glanced over and was relieved to see that Willow was still sleeping and had not seen where her phone had taken residence that night. She glanced at the clock, it was almost eight and she was a little confused as to why Spike hadn't called her that morning like he had every other. She glanced at her phone and only then noticed the flashing red light indicating a message of some sort.

_From Spike:_

_Told you I'd help you fall asleep. My flight leaves at 6, I'll call you before the show. Thinking of you and only you. _

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Spike sat in the window seat next to Oz as the plane flew steadily through the air. He had his notebook on his lap and was writing away like his life depended on it. "Whatcha dooin'?" Oz asked as he leaned over slightly in his chair to take a peek at what Spike was writing.

"Working on a new song." Spike answered absentmindedly as he tapped the pen he was using against his knee.

"Mind if I take a look?" Oz asked.

Without hesitation Spike handed him the book and Oz began to look over the scribblings on the page. Spike's creative process was pretty chaotic. He would write random phrases all over the page in different writing styles and using more pressure on the pen here and then barely writing anything there, but Oz seemed to understand it perfectly.

"This all about Buffy?" He asked.

"Uh, yeah," he said, "it's still rough but I think I can make something of it." Spike said as he waited for Oz's opinion.

"No," Oz said turning the page sideways, "I like it."

"Do you?"

"Yeah," he said pointing at one of the verses, "especially this one here. Could make it kind of a tearjerker with a killer beat."

"Maybe get Glory to sing it with me." Spike said as he rested his chin on his hand.

"Yeah man, that'd be awesome." Oz handed the book back to Spike. "You really miss her, don't you?"

"Glory?"

"No, Buffy!" Oz said with a laugh.

Spike chuckled. "More and more every day." He admitted.

"You were never like this with Cecily." Oz commented.

Spike's muscles visibly tightened at the sound of her name coming from his mouth. "Cecily," he started slowly, "was nothing compared to Buffy."

"You two were together for six years." Oz said.

"For all the wrong reasons." Spike interjected. "We didn't have anything there at the end, she was just something familiar. She was a mistake from high school that went on far too long."

"You think she'll show up when we do our show in Philly?" He asked.

"Wouldn't put it past her," Spike said angrily, "she lives for this shit and would love to make it awkward."

"Plus I'm sure she's seen pictures of you and Buffy together."

"The jealous little bint she is, she'll definitely show." He realized.

"You'd think after being broken up for three years she'd chill out."

"She's under the false impression that she made me," he said, "delusional chit."

"Well," Oz said as he shifted in his seat, "if she shows up we'll just have to keep her away from you. Shouldn't be too hard with the security army Glory totes around with her."

They glanced over to where Glory was currently napping on the crowded flight. She was surrounded by her personal army on all fronts, they were sitting on either side of her as well as the rows in front and behind her. Most people would find it rude that someone would go through so much trouble to stay away from their fans, but Spike and Oz just found it funny. She was completely oblivious to the fact that without the people that she tried so hard to stay away from, she would still be little Gloria Marie Heckrotte from some small town just outside of Baltimore.

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"Okay," Xander said as they walked in to the first apartment of the day, "no way in hell am I letting you guys live here."

"I'm with Xander on this one." Riley said as they all took a look around.

The apartment itself wasn't too terrible, but the condition the previous owners had left it in left something to be desired. There were a couple of old brownish stains littering the floor and the counter top had a nice circular burn on it from where someone had sat a pot for a long period of time. The windows were stained with white streaks and, truth be told, it wasn't in the best of neighborhoods. Without even making it past the foyer, the group turned and left the apartment behind.

The next few apartments didn't go much better. They all had something wrong with them that would almost instantly throw them out of the running. The second apartment was designed poorly and the bathroom door couldn't open all the way. The third's closets were so small that there was no way the girls could possibly live there. The fourth had bugs and when they went in to the fifth, all they could hear was the sound of the Spanish neighbors screaming through the walls.

It was going on five when they took a break for lunch at a small deli just down the road from the bar. Buffy was getting a little bit discouraged about the entire thing, all of the apartments in their price range weren't exactly what she wanted to live in, but there really wasn't much she could do about that.

"I'm going to go order our food," Xander said as the rest of the gang filled one of the booths of the restaurant, "you guys just want the usual?"

"Sounds good to me." Buffy answered.

"Same here." Willow said as she took her spot next to Buffy.

Xander walked up to the counter and Riley popped in to the booth across from them. "So, how are you two feeling about this apartment search?"

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know, I don't want to move out of the dorm and in to something worse."

"We'll find something." Willow said cheerfully, she was almost as difficult to get down as Clem. "We just have to keep looking."

"The only places left are the ones that are actually in the city," Buffy said, "it's just going to get more and more expensive the closer we get."

"Well, we have one more to check out today," Riley said, "maybe it'll be the one."

"It's also the only one on our list that's out of our price range." Buffy commented as Xander rejoined the group and took a seat next to Riley.

"Maybe you could ask your folks for some help?" Riley suggested.

"No," Buffy said, "they wouldn't go for that when I have a perfectly good dorm room and can just live with them between semesters."

"It's right down the road," Riley said, "we're already out so we might as well give it a look."

Buffy nodded as the food was brought to the table, what harm could one more apartment do?

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"So what is this place called again?" Buffy asked as the group piled in to Riley's car. He started it with no trouble whatsoever, something she had grown to see as strange from spending so much time in Spike's vehicle, and took off toward whatever apartment complex he had in mind.

"Winds Echo." He answered. "It's a pretty nice place."

"And you said your friend lives here?" She asked.

"Yeah," he said, "a girl I used to work with at the old club."

"How long has she lived there?" Willow asked.

"I'm not sure," Riley answered, "I know it was for at least a year and she never seemed to have any problems."

"What about her clothes?" Xander asked. Everyone looked at him with confusion in their eyes and obviously fighting the urge to question him. "Well, if they were full of moth holes and stuff like that then that would mean that the place has a bug problem."

"Her clothes were fine," Riley answered with a shake of his head, "she actually had some really nice stuff."

"Sounds like someone may have had a little crush on this girl." Willow said with a little smirk.

Riley shrugged. "She was alright but-"

"RILEY! WATCH OUT!"

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Spike sat in one of the backstage rooms as Glory Wire finished their set. He had tried to call Buffy twice already but was getting no answer. He thought it was strange but didn't think too much of it, he knew she and Willow were going out looking for apartments that day and she was probably just busy with that. For all he knew they had found a place and were filling out applications.

"You alright?" Oz asked as he took a seat next to him on the leather sofa.

"Yeah," he said, "Buffy's not answering her phone is all."

"I've been having a hard time getting a hold of Willow, too." Oz commented. "They're probably still looking at apartments or something."

"That's what I figured." Spike said as the crowd cheered over the final notes of the last song.

Oz sighed, clapping a hand on Spike's shoulder. "Well, no use worrying about it now. It's just about showtime." He jumped off the table and took a few steps before looking back at Spike. "You coming?"

Spike nodded. "I'll be there in a minute."

Oz nodded and made his way toward the row of basses across the stage. He picked up his favorite and went to work making sure it was in tune as Spike picked up his phone one last time. He typed in her name and pushed the call button, waiting less than patiently as the phone rang evenly in his ear.

"Hi, this is Buffy." He sighed as he got the machine again. "I'm not here right now so leave a message and I'll call you back as soon as I can. Thanks."

"Hey, Buff, it's me. Haven't talked to you all day and I'm about to go on now so I won't have my phone. I'll call you as soon as we've finished up, but if you get this before just send me a text. I know it's stupid and I sound like a git, but I am a little worried about you and would really like some sort of proof that you're, ya know, still alive. Anyway, I'll call you later, pet. Miss you. Bye."

He hung up the phone and tossed it less than lightly on the table as he made his way across the stage. Something definitely wasn't right.

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Riley barely had any time to react before the dark blue SUV slammed in to the passenger side of his car. He could feel the car still skidding across the street at an alarming speed and he instantly covered his head with his hands. He heard a loud scream as the car hit the concrete divider in the middle of the road and sent them spiraling through the air before they finally landed upside down on the wrong side of the street. Riley had braced himself for another impact, but luckily whatever cars had been on that side of the road had seen the accident and stopped in time to avoid them.

He opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was the broken glass of his windshield and the way his door was smashed in. He shook his head to rid it of the small pieces of shattered glass as small droplets of blood dripped from his nose. He could hear motion and groans from his fellow passengers as they slowly began to realize what had just happened. "Is everyone okay?" He asked loudly.

"I'm okay." Willow answered from the back drivers side seat.

"I think I am, too." Xander said next. "Buff, you okay?"

"I...I think so." Her weakened voice said from the back seat.

Riley looked down and was relieved to see that his seat belt was undamaged. He immediately clicked the small red button and eased himself on to the smashed roof of the car. The second he hit the floor he knew that he had hurt something, but that didn't matter right now. He glanced over at Xander and moved to undo his seat belt.

"No," he said quietly, "my arm is stuck and I think my ribs are broken." Riley looked up and saw a piece of metal going straight through Xander's forearm. "Check the girls and get them out if you can."

Riley nodded and moved back to the driver's side of the car. He peeked between the seats and looked Willow over quickly. She looked fine other than a few cuts and scrapes. "Willow, can you get out of your seat belt?" He asked.

He watched as Willow looked down to her seat belt and nodded. "Yeah, I don't think my side got much damage other than the broken window."

Riley nodded. "Good. Get yourself out of it and climb out of the window. Make sure someone called the ambulance and when they get here tell them what it's like in here."

At Willow's confused look he cocked his head toward Buffy. Metal was practically enveloped around her and her arm was at a very awkward angle. She was covered in blood and she was having obvious trouble trying to stay awake. Willow glanced back over to Riley, tears forming in her eyes as she nodded. She clicked her seat belt and within seconds her slim body was through the window and running down the street.

Everywhere she looked people were gawking at the accident. A few people were on their phones and she noticed a couple more filming the wreckage. It took moments for the ambulance to get there, but to her it seemed like days. She watched in stunned silence as the medics pulled out stretchers and rescue teams raced over to the car. It was almost like an out of body experience as one of them pulled her to the side and began to examine her.

"Where are you hurt ma'am?" The paramedic asked as he led her to sit on one of the stretchers.

"What?" Willow asked as she watched one of the other teams run at the car with a large electric saw. "What are they going to do with that?"

"Did you hit your head?" He asked, pulling out a pen light and shining it in her eyes. "Do you have any dizziness or notice any swelling?"

"I don't know." She watched the sparks fly through the air as they cut away at the front driver's side door. "My friends..."

"They're going to be alright." The medic said. "Now I need to get some information from you."

Willow shook her head, slowly standing from the stretcher and pulling her cell phone out of her pocket. "I've got to call Spike."

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Riley could hear the sirens of emergency vehicles within moments and the usually annoying pitch made his heart swell. He climbed back over to the passenger side of the car and spoke quietly to the two trapped inside the wreckage. "The ambulance is here," he said, "they're going to get us out."

"Buffy, is she-?"

Riley glanced back at Buffy, she was still awake but he could tell that she was still dazed by the shock of it all. "She's alright." Riley said confidently. "They're going to have you guys out in no time, I promise."

As if on cue the lights from the emergency workers flashlights filled the car as one of them knelt down and stuck his head inside the window Willow had managed to crawl out just moments before. "You kids doing okay?" The man asked.

"I'm fine but these two can't move." Riley explained.

The man looked around, pointing his flashlight around the car and taking a quick survey of the damage done. After a few moments of careful study, he turned the flashlight off and nodded to Riley. "We're going to have to cut you kids out. It's going to be really loud but it won't hurt you."

Riley nodded and the man quickly left his view. He moved over to the passenger side again and covered his ears as the high pitched squealing of the saw cutting metal filled the air. He watched as they cut a large square in to the side of the car and quickly moved the newly made scrap metal off to the side. Riley was immediately pulled from the wreckage by two pairs of strong arms who sat him directly on to a waiting stretcher.

"The man in the front seat has a piece of metal going through his arm and the girl in the back, she's stuck and her arm is definitely broken." Riley explained to the man in charge.

He nodded as he glanced around at his team. "We'll get them out of there, boy, don't you worry about that. Just let the medics take a look at you and let me take care of this mess."

Riley nodded as the stretcher was quickly rolled away and tucked in to a waiting ambulance.

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Slowly but surely Buffy's body finally began to register the unbelievable amount of pain that she was in. She knew she must have been in shock at first, but as the adrenaline dwindled away she couldn't help the tears that welled up in her eyes. She had been sitting upside down for what seemed like forever now and the way her legs were wrapped up in the metal was becoming more and more scary as the time went on. She knew that she couldn't move her arm and the pain she felt as she tried to breathe was probably caused by her ribs being broken. The thing she was most afraid of, however, was the amount of blood she saw pooling at the bottom of the car.

"Xander?" She called hoarsely. "Xander, can you hear me?"

"I can hear you, Buff." He answered.

She sniffed and blinked her eyes rapidly, trying as hard as she could not to cry. "Xander, I'm scared."

"It's okay," he said, "we're going to be fine."

"How can you know that?" She asked.

"Because I just know." He answered with a sigh. "Did I ever tell you about the conversation Spike and I had the morning before he left?"

She shook her head. "No."

"I promised him that I'd look out for you." He said a bit louder. "I told him that I wouldn't let anything bad happen to you and I plan to keep that promise, Buffy. You're my best friend and I can't live without you. I also know that I am not going to let myself die here and since I can't live without you, you can't die without me."

Buffy laughed softly at his crazy logic. "I guess you're right."

"You know I'm right." He extended his good arm behind him and Buffy immediately grabbed his hand with her own. "I love you, Buffy."

"I love you, too."

The loud screeching of the saw cutting through the car filled the air again and Buffy and Xander both squeezed their eyes shut. It was much louder this time and they both knew that they were obviously cutting on their side of the vehicle. Suddenly there was bright lights everywhere as the mangled bits of car that had been on top of them were lifted away and a helicopters spotlight fixed itself directly on them. Their hands stayed intertwined the entire time the team helping them worked on getting them out, they would get through this together.

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"Thank you Memphis! We'll see you next time!"

Spike ran off of the stage and directly for his phone. She had been on his mind the entire time they had been playing and he just knew she must have called or texted him by now. When he picked up his phone, however, there was nothing waiting for him. He glanced over and saw Oz drinking from a water bottle and immediately made his way over to him.

"You hear back from Willow?" He asked.

"I don't know," Oz said taking another long sip of his water, "I left my phone on the bus. Has Buffy still not called you back?"

Spike shook his head. "No, she hasn't."

"Spike, Oz," Giles' voice called from the green room, "can I have a word?"

The two men looked at one another, each with a certain sense of dread filling their heads as they walked in to the green room. Giles and Anya sat on one couch and the boys each took a seat on the one opposite of them. They all looked at one another for a long moment, nobody knowing who was to start whatever conversation they were supposed to be having.

"Sorry," Spike said suddenly, "wasn't aware tonight was the staring competition championship. Had I known I would have worn my-"

"Not now, Spike." Giles said with an eerily serious tone in his voice. In that moment Spike knew something serious was going on. "We got a call from Willow earlier this evening. It seems that she and Buffy were involved in a pretty serious car accident."

Spike felt his heart fall to the pit of his stomach as the words sank in. He felt dizzy and nauseous all at once and didn't trust his own mouth to speak. He knew something wasn't right, he had felt it the entire night, but this was the last thing he had expected to hear.

"Are they okay?" Oz asked.

"Willow is fine, she has a minor concussion and a few cuts and bruises" Giles said, "but Buffy did sustain a few injuries."

"What kind of injuries?" Spike asked in an almost growl.

"We really aren't sure," Anya said, "all she could really tell us was that they were cutting her out of the car." Spike lowered his head to his hands as he listened to her. He could hardly believe the words that were coming out of her mouth. "The last we heard she was on her way to the hospital."

"How long?" Spike asked quietly.

Giles and Anya both glanced at one another, neither completely sure what he was asking. "I beg your pardon?"

"How long have you two known about the accident?" He clarified.

"We got the call just as you went on stage." Giles answered.

"And it took you this long to bloody tell me?" Spike yelled as he jumped up from the couch and threw his arms in the air. "If you two get a call saying that something has happened to my fucking girl, you tell the moment you hang up!"

"You had just started your show." Anya said.

"I don't give a damn about the sodding show!" He yelled as he flung the door to the green room open. "Come on, Oz."

"Right behind you." Oz was up in an instant and without a second thought followed behind his friend.

"Where are you going?" Giles yelled from the doorway.

"Where the fuck do you think?"

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**I know, I'm so evil. I am not nearly as evil as Joss, however.**

**Reviews for more updates? :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Wow, two updates in two days! I'm on a roll!**

**I got a ton of new readers and reviewers with that last one. Welcome aboard everyone! Thank you so much for your kind words and motivating reviews on the last chapter, I was so worried you all wouldn't like it. This one goes straight out to ACeH-aH, she knows why. **

**Random thought of the moment, I want a pillow pet.**

**Chapter 15.**

Spike had been sitting on the plane for two hours and thirty seven minutes. In a little over an hour he and Oz would be landing in Los Angeles and about half an hour from that he would be at the hospital. Not knowing what was happening with Buffy was like torture for him, he was so worried he could hardly sit still. The entire plane ride he had been tapping his foot or shaking his leg, anything to distract him from the slowly passing time. He had tried to work on the new song that he had been writing, but it was to no avail. The only thing on his mind was her and until he saw her with his own eyes his mind would continue to imagine the worst.

"I tried calling Willow again but her phone is off." Oz said from the seat next to him.

"She's probably in the hospital with Buffy," Spike said, "you know how inseparable those two are."

"Do you know who's car they were in?" He asked.

Spike shrugged, that had been another question plaguing his mind. She hadn't told him that anyone else was going out with them that day, he had assumed that it was only Buffy and Willow, so who had been driving the car? He decided that the details really didn't matter, for the time being at least, and sat back in his chair to suffer on in silence through the last leg of the flight from hell.

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Willow had been charged with the difficult task of calling and informing everyone's loved ones of the accident. Clem was at the hospital in a matter of minutes and was instantly taken back to Xander's room. Giles had promised to pass the news along to Spike and Oz as soon as they were off stage and Buffy's parents were on their way. She had been released from her doctors care quickly after her arrival, but leaving wasn't even an option. She was incredibly worried about Buffy, the image of her covered in blood and stuck in the wrecked car would not wash from her mind as she sat in the waiting room of the hospital. She would sit here and make sure that both Buffy and Xander were okay no matter how long it took.

Riley, on the other hand, had been taken to the security office for questioning minutes after his release from medical care. He had fared almost as well as Willow had, a few cuts and bruises along with two sprained wrists from when he had tried to hold the wheel steady after the initial impact, but nothing particularly serious. The police had asked for a statement from Willow as well, but she hadn't seen much from her spot in the back seat.

She heard the hospital doors open and looked over to see Buffy's family enter the room. Joyce was practically running as Hank and a tired Dawn walked briskly behind her.

"Mrs. Summers?" Willow called cautiously. The woman's head turned quickly and a look of relief flashed across her face.

"Willow!" Joyce called as she ran across the waiting room. She pulled the younger girl in to her arms in a tight hug as Hank and Dawn caught up to them. "Are you okay, dear?"

"I'm fine," Willow said, "just a couple of cuts and bruises. I have a minor concussion and a little whiplash but they don't seem too worried about it."

"Well thank God for that." Hank said from behind his wife. "How's Buffy?"

"I'm not sure." Willow said. "They took her straight to x-ray when they got here"

"Have they told you anything?" Joyce asked.

Willow shook her head. "I'm not family so they wouldn't tell me much."

"God damn politics." Hank muttered under his breath.

"How bad was the accident?" Joyce asked.

"It was pretty bad," Willow said, "I'm pretty sure she had a broken arm but that's all I could tell."

"Are you sure she's not dead?" Dawn asked.

"Dawn!" Her parents scowled in unison.

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The moment the plane hit the ground Spike and Oz were up and standing at the exit. They ran through the terminals as if their lives were in danger and not even a passing swarm of crawling infants could have slowed their roll. They ran outside and hailed a cab before yelling their destination to the driver and telling him to step on it. They were at the hospital in record time and Spike sprinted in to the emergency room, leather boots screeching to a halt as he practically slid in to the front desk.

"Buffy Summers, where is she?" He barked.

"Spike!"

His head whipped around and she could see the urgency and panic on his face. When his eyes met hers, however, the icy facade melted away and he rushed over to her. In just a few long strides they had met half way across the room and he pulled her tightly in to his arms. He pulled back after a few seconds and looked her over quickly. "You're alright, yeah?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Willow said.

"Good, then you won't mind me ignoring your part in this and jumping straight to the chase. Where's Buffy?" He asked quickly.

"She's still getting tests done." Hank answered as he rose from his seat.

Spike's eyes widened momentarily and he instantly straightened himself up. In his hurry to get to her he had forgotten that he was still in his game face, complete with eyeliner, spiked hair, and every piercing he had adorning some type of metal. This was definitely not the way he needed his girlfriend's father to see him but what was there to do now? He ran a hand through his wild hair and changed his tone from panicked to one of respect for the man before him.

"Mr. Summers," he said as he extended his hand toward him, "good to see you again, sir."

His brows furrowed together but he shook Spike's hand nonetheless. "Not the best phrase to use in this situation, Spike, but given the stress we're all under I'm sure I can let it slide.

Spike gave him a slight nod as Joyce made her way toward him. Without any warning the woman threw her arms around him and pulled him in to a tight embrace. "She'd be so happy to have you here." She whispered in his ear.

Oz chose that moment to rush in to the E.R. in a similar fashion as Spike. "Oz!" Willow yelled.

He ran up to her and quickly picked her up in to his arms. Everyone looked away in slight discomfort as the usually awkwardly cute couple engaged in a kiss so passionate it almost put Spike and Buffy to shame. "I was so worried about you." Oz whispered against her lips.

"I'm okay, Oz, really." She said. "Just a couple scrapes and a hit to the head, I'll be fine."

Oz nodded as he kissed her nose. She smiled sweetly at him before leading him to sit down in one of the seats in the far corner of the waiting room. Everyone else seemed to follow in suit as they made a sort of semi-circle of worry. The television was on and the images on the screen were familiar but no one would so much as glance at it, they were all too busy talking amongst themselves and trying to distract one another from their obvious concern.

Spike sat across from Dawn with one leg thrown casually over the armrest. They were playing go fish with a set of cards that she had just happened to have in her giant bag of wonders she called a purse. "Do you have any fives?" He asked.

She shook her head. "Nope, go fish."

He took a card from the pile between them and tucked it in to its proper place within the hand he held. He was going to remind her that it was now her turn, but when he looked up from his hand he found her staring at him intently. "What?"

"You guys just jumped on a plane and flew over here?" Dawn asked.

Spike nodded. "Four hour plane ride from Memphis."

"And you guys can just do that whenever you want?" She asked.

"In theory." He answered shortly.

Dawn nodded her head slowly, her eyes never leaving his. "You got any two's?"

"Buffy Summers?" The doctor called from the door separating them from where the patients were. All six people sitting in the corner of the waiting room stood instantaneously and the doctor approached them quickly. "I'm Dr. Reynolds, I'm taking care of Buffy while she's here."

"How is she?" Hank asked.

"Buffy's going to be fine." He said reassuringly. "She has a broken arm and three broken ribs on her right side. Like Willow here she has a concussion and a nice case of whiplash, but it is nothing incredibly serious. There were no internal injuries and based on the scan we took her brain seems to be functioning normally."

"Oh, thank God." Joyce sighed.

"Is there anything we can do?" Spike asked. The doctor glanced over at him and Spike could tell he was a bit taken aback by his appearance. He raised an eyebrow and the doctor quickly looked back down at his notes.

"She's going to be in a lot of pain and I'm going to give her a prescription for Hydrocodone which should help with most of it. She'll need some help getting around for a few days due to her ribs and standard protocol states that anyone on prescription pain relievers shouldn't be left alone." The doctor explained.

"That shouldn't be a problem." Hank said. "Is there anything else that we should know?"

The doctor shook his head. "The only other concern we really have at this point is what color we should make the cast."

Without a moment of thought, the entire group answered in unison. "Purple."

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Buffy awoke what seemed like days later in what she instantly recognized as a hospital bed. She rolled her head to the side and let out a small hiss at the pain she felt as she did so. She let her eyes fall shut again, still feeling a little out of it. The pain killers they had given her when she had gotten inside the ambulance had knocked her out and even though she wasn't usually keen on the idea of being put to sleep, the numbness the sleep had given her was truly a blessing in disguise. Her arm felt heavy and she had a lot of pain every time she took a breath.

"Are you awake, honey?"

Her eyes shot back open at the sound of her mother's voice. She slowly tilted her head to the side and saw her standing next to her bed. "Mom?" She asked.

"It's me, Buffy," she whispered as she rested her hand on top of her daughter's, "I'm here. So is your dad and Dawn."

"Hi Buffy." Dawn said from behind her mother. Hank stood next to his youngest daughter as he watched the other one laying in the bed before him. She was covered in tiny cuts and her right arm was propped up on a couple of overstuffed pillows. Her eyelids were droopy and her hair was all over the place, but she was alive and that was all that really mattered.

"How's Xander?" Buffy asked.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking." His almost cheery voice said from her other side. She turned her head and saw him sitting up in the bed across the room from her. He gave her a small smile as he waved at her with his casted arm. "How you feeling, champ?"

Buffy smiled lazily. "Tired."

"Drugs will do that to you." He said with a curt nod.

Buffy rolled her head back over to look at her mom. "You guys came all the way down here for me?" She asked.

"We're not the ones who took a four hour plane ride." Joyce said with a smile as she looked over to the door.

Taking his cue, Spike walked in to the room carrying a large stuffed bear and multiple boxes of chocolate in his hands. Willow and Oz stood hand in hand beside him, smiling brightly at her from just beyond the doorway. Spike was still in game face but the sight of him carrying the oversized animal and sweet treats made the bad ass rock star look like something out of a sitcom.

Buffy was high as a kite but the smile that lit her features was as genuine as it had ever been as she took in the sight of him. "Spike?"

He smiled as he made his way further in to the room. He sat down on the edge of her bed and leaned over her, pushing a strand of blonde hair out of her face. "Hey there, gorgeous."

"What are you doing here?" She asked tiredly.

His smile widened as she spoke, he never thought he'd see Buffy on any type of drug and the tone her voice had taken on was bordering on comical. "Someone had to get you a giant bear." He said as he brought the enormous animal's head between their faces. She grabbed it from his hands and sat it down beside her, moving carefully so as not to disturb her injuries. Spike looked down at the chocolate in his hands, pausing momentarily to look over the labels before throwing one to the man on the other side of the room. "This one's for you, Harris."

Xander watched as the box of chocolate landed with a thud on his legs. "Thanks."

Spike nodded quickly before switching his gaze back to Buffy. "You alright, luv?" He asked.

"Remember how Bob was the other night when he called me a Buff-a-saurus?" She asked.

"I do." He answered.

"I'd say kind of like that." She answered.

He smiled as he placed a soft kiss on her forehead, she would be the one to make light of such a serious situation with stories of his borderline psychotic bandmate.

"How are my patients?" Dr. Reynolds asked from where he stood against the door frame.

"All good here, Dr. R." Xander called from his bed.

"I think Buffy's feeling pretty good, too." Dawn commented.

The doctor let out a soft laugh. "That's the pain killers we gave her, they should be out of her system in a couple of hours. However, we would like to keep her overnight for observation just as a precaution."

Joyce nodded. "Whatever you think is best."

Dr. Reynolds nodded. "I hate to do this to you all, but it's past visiting hours and both Buffy and Alexander-"

"Xander."

"Buffy and Xander," he corrected with a raised eyebrow in Xander's direction, "need their rest if they are to get any better."

Hank nodded. "The doctor's right."

"Are you guys leaving already?" Buffy asked drowsily.

"Dad rented us some little hotel down the road on the way here." Dawn said from her corner of the room. "I bet it has bed bugs."

"Dawn." Her mother scolded.

"What? It probably does."

Joyce shook her head as she moved back to her daughter's bedside. "Don't worry, dear, we'll be back in the morning."

"We will be, too." Willow said from the comfy chair she had Oz had been sharing.

"I'm staying." Xander said from his bed as he munched away on one of his new pieces of chocolate.

Buffy turned her gaze back to Spike who still sat at the edge of her bed, his hand gently cradling hers as he caressed the back of her hand with his thumb. Her eyes met his with the question the she was dying to ask but just couldn't find the words to say. He gave her a sad smile as he shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere, ducks. Do you want anything, need me to go out and get you something?"

She thought for a moment, squinting her eyes shut and taking a deep breath. "Do you think the vending machine has Chex Mix?"

Spike chuckled softly. "Probably."

"Would you mind getting me a bag?"

"Make that two!" Xander called from his bed.

Spike's eyes flashed over to Xander's form and a dash of annoyance lit his voice. "Anything else, pet?"

She shook her head. "No, that's it."

"What about you, Harris?" He said a bit louder.

"Nah, I'm good."

Spike's eyes moved back to Buffy as he placed one last gentle kiss on her forehead before making his way over to the doorway and facing her waiting parents. "I'll walk you out?"

Joyce nodded and Hank moved further in to the room, grabbing hold of his daughter's hand and giving it a light squeeze. "I'll see you in the morning, kiddo."

Buffy nodded and without another word the Summers family left the room escorted by none other than Spike himself.

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Spike walked Buffy's parents and younger sister to the door of the hospital before leaving them to go on their somber way to the hotel. Truth be told, the place they had rented wasn't so bad but Spike was glad that they were the one's leaving. He was a bit surprised when they had made no objection to him staying with their injured daughter, but he decided to merely count his blessings and make his way to the vending area.

He looked through all of the options the machine had and was taken aback slightly by just how many different types of Chex Mix it held inside. There was original, cheddar, sweet and salty, and chocolate. He had absolutely no idea which type Buffy would like and even less of a clue of what Xander would want. With a sigh he pulled out his wallet and grabbed the wad of bills he had inside, he would just have to get two of everything. He pushed all of the proper buttons and watched as the slow machine took its time in releasing the treats from its metallic grasp. When the eighth and final bad finally fell to the bottom of the machine, Spike knelt down and quickly collected his winnings.

"Spike?"

At the sound of his name he looked up involuntarily. Through the reflection in the glass of the machine he could see the form of none other that Riley Finn standing a few feet behind him. He felt the anger swell in his chest as he slowly rose to his feet. A report on the news earlier in the night had informed him that he had been the driver of the car and he was the absolute last person Spike wanted to see right now.

He turned slowly and for the first time that night was glad that he was still in his stage apparel. He was an intimidating son of a bitch on a normal day but his game face gave him a certain edge that tipped the scales a little closer to scary. "What are you doing here, mate?" He asked angrily.

The low tone of his voice and the control he held over his words did nothing to calm Riley's nerves, he would rather have had the man scream at him as opposed to this calm and threatening thing. "I wanted to make sure that Buffy and Xander were okay."

"They're fine." He answered. "I'll let them know you stopped by. Now be a good little soldier boy and sod off."

"I'm not going anywhere until I see them." He said in a tone that failed miserably at mimicking Spike's.

"Yeah?" Spike asked as he raised a scarred and pierced eyebrow. "And what makes you think that I'm gonna let you near my girl again?"

"I'm her friend, Spike."

Spike let out a bitter laugh. "Is that how you show your friendship where you come from?"

Riley's brow furrowed as he looked at Spike in utter confusion. "What?"

"You almost killed her you stupid git." He said. "You ran a red light and got yourself smashed by an SUV."

"Look, I'm sorry."

"No," he said pointing a finger at the man across from him, "saying your sorry doesn't change the fact that she is laying in a hospital bed, beat to all hell and on a whole slew of pain meds, because of you. Apologizing at this point is practically an insult. "

"It was an-"

"God help you if you say the word accident." Spike snapped. "I am not going to pretend that I have any say in who Buffy hangs around with or who her friends are, but I'll go straight to hell before I sit back and let someone get away with hurting her."

Riley cocked his head to the side. "What are you trying to say?"

Spike let out a cold chuckle. "You think you're so smart don't you?" He asked. "I know what you're up to. I saw the way you looked at her that night at the bar and at first I found the entire thing pretty funny, the enormous hall monitor pining away for the unavailable coworker, but tonight that changed. I see you around her, and you'll be wishing that crash had played out a little differently for you."

Spike turned back to the vending machine, he had come out here for a reason and he wasn't about to just forget about the eight bucks he had spent on munchies for his honey.

"What about when you're gone, Spikey?" Spike's eyes met their own reflection in the glass as Riley continued to dig his own grave. "You're barely here, _mate, _that's why you weren't with her looking at apartments today and I was. She's going to get sick of you not being around, I can promise you that. When she does I'll be there and you'll be eating those words."

Without warning Spike's fist shot out and slammed straight in to Riley's nose. Blood poured like a fountain and the man fell to his knees as he covered his face with his hands. "You go near her again and that nose will be the least of your worries."

Spike knelt down and pulled the eight packages of Chex Mix from the vending machine. "You... you broke my nose!"

Spike let out an annoyed sigh. "Yeah, well, we're in a hospital. I'm sure you can find someone to fix you up real well."

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It was going on two in the morning and Spike and Buffy were still clinging on to the last bits of consciousness they had left. He sat behind her on the bed, the back of it raised just enough to keep him sitting upright, and she laid with her back resting against his upper body. His legs were on either side of her and his arms were wrapped tightly around her waist. He heard her yawn quietly as her head tilted back to rest against his chest.

"You tired, luv?" He asked. "Do you want to go to sleep?"

She shook her head slightly. "No."

He placed a soft kiss on her shoulder before resting his head in the exact same spot. "Why's that?"

"I don't want to waste our time together." She said quietly.

"I'm not leaving until at least Sunday," he said, "we've got plenty of time."

"No we don't," she said sadly, "not like this."

Spike sighed as he gently tapped her good side with his hand. She sat up slowly and he removed his body from behind hers. She moved to the right side of the small bed so that she could rest on her good side as he used the remote control to lower the head of the bed. He slid back in next to her and she instantly took her favorite spot in his arms as she let her head rest on his chest. He kissed her forehead before moving his hand to the back of her hair and began stroking it softly.

"You heard what the doctor said," he whispered, "you need your rest."

"I'll rest when you leave." She replied defiantly.

He let out a soft chuckle. "You can't do that, pet, I refuse to be the reason you won't get better."

She sighed as she moved her casted arm to rest across his abdomen. "I just miss you when you're gone and don't want to waste the little bit of time we have together right now sleeping."

"You can't stay awake for three days, Buff, didn't you learn anything from the Sims?" He felt her body shake in quiet laughter and the feel of it made a wide smile appear on his face. He thought for a moment over what Riley had said in the hallway. He didn't want to leave her here again but the truth was that he had to and it wouldn't be the last time. His biggest fears erupted from the large cub scout's mouth and now more than ever he was seeing the type of toll his absence was taking on Buffy. "I've got an idea, lamb."

"What's that?" She asked tiredly.

"How about after the holidays when you've had a chance to heal up good and proper," he whispered as his arm tightened around her, "you come out on the road with me?"

Buffy's eyes shot open as her mind processed the words. Was he really asking her to come with him? She slowly moved herself back in to a sitting position and looked down at him. "Are you serious?"

Spike moved his arms at a leisurely pace to sit behind his head as his characteristic smirk made its devious way across his lips. "Course I'm serious."

"I'll have to talk it over with Clem," she said, "make sure I can get the time off."

"I'm sure Clem won't have a problem with it." He said with a voice still near a whisper. "So what do you say, luv? Come on the road with me for a bit before school starts up again?"

Buffy smiled wider than she even knew she could, her head nodding as quickly as her hurt neck would allow. How could she even possibly have said no?

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The moment the clock struck ten the next morning Buffy and Xander's room was filled by all of their friends and family. Clem had surprised everyone by coming back and Buffy's parents seemed happy to meet the man that had given her the first real job she had ever actually had. Everyone was getting along great and the nurse had even managed to sneak a few extra breakfast trays in to the room while the rest of the group snacked on the six leftover bags of Chex Mix.

"Has anyone heard from Riley?" Buffy asked suddenly.

Spike visibly stiffened as the question was asked but Xander's answer quickly brought him some relief. "I got a text from him this morning. He said he's got a killer headache from his broken nose and just wants to sleep all day. He said hi to everyone and he hopes you get better, Buff."

Buffy nodded and seemed to take his excuse for not being there as genuine as she went back to talking animatedly with her mom, sister, and Willow. Everyone watched in curious suspense as the nurse came in to check both her and Xander's vitals and see the progress they were making. It was obvious that Buffy was feeling a little better this morning just by the way she was speaking and the nurse was fairly certain that Dr. Reynolds would release her as soon as he had finished his rounds.

In an attempt to keep both temporarily handicapped individuals together, and therefore easier to take care of, they would be setting up camp in Spike's apartment. Spike instantly saw the trap for what it was and insisted that Willow and Oz also stay at his place to help him look after their friends. On Sunday when the guys were due to leave Willow would continue her role as nurse until Buffy felt she could handle going up and down stairs again at which point they would all go back to their own dwellings and carry on with their normal lives. The Summers family had decided that everything seemed well taken care of in L.A. and had agreed that once Buffy was released from the hospital they would be heading home.

It took no time at all for Dr. Reynolds to make it to their room and after a small examination of his own he signed the release papers and distributed the proper after care forms to the willing and able Willow Rosenberg to keep a hold of. Being the well organized and quick thinking girl that she was, Willow had already packed bags for herself, Buffy, and even Xander the night before and the trio was all set for a fun filled stay at Spike's place.

"So we've got Planet Terror, an awesome film by Robert Rodriguez about a zombie apocalypse and a girl with a machine gun for a leg."

"No."

Pineapple Express."

"No."

"Death Proof about Stunt Man Mike who uses his death proof car to kill girls."

"No!"

"In hindsight that was a poor choice." Oz said as he continued down the list of movies he had grabbed from his apartment the night before. "How about The Mist?"

"What is The Mist?" Buffy asked.

"It's kind of exactly how it sounds," Oz said, "a mist rolls in to some tiny town and there's monsters in it. It's a lot better than it sounds and it's got that guy from The Punisher in it."

"John Travolta?" Xander asked.

"No, Thomas Jane." Oz said as he tapped the box with his index finger. "I'm making an executive decision, we're watching The Mist."

Everyone sat on the fold out mattress of Spike's couch like sardines in a can. Xander sat on one side with his injured arm sitting propped up on the arm of the couch. Willow was next to him and Oz was on her other side. In an attempt to keep her from getting more damaged than she already was Buffy and Spike elected to get comfy on the love seat across the room. Spike sat upright and Buffy laid with her back to him and her feet propped up on the couch. He had stuck a couple of pillows on his lap for her arm to prop up on while his own was draped around her shoulders.

The movie started and after a few pauses for popcorn, drinks, and bathroom breaks everyone settled down enough to pay attention to it. It was a good movie, Spike had seen it before, but all of his thoughts were still on the girl resting against him. She had actually agreed to go on tour with him and the thought alone made his heart swell, but the entire Riley situation still didn't sit well with him. He didn't understand why she wouldn't have told him that he and Xander were tagging along.

The movie was just about half way through when Buffy began to wiggle under his light hold. He lifted his arm slightly and watched as she moved to lay her head in his lap against the pillows that had been meant for her arm. She didn't look incredibly comfortable, but Spike knew she wouldn't complain.

"Can I ask you something?" He asked quietly.

Buffy turned and looked up at him from her spot in his lap. "Sure."

He took a minute to look her over, even with the tiny cuts littering her face and arms she was still the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on. "Why didn't you tell me Xander and Riley were going out with you two?"

Buffy sat up slowly, she knew this question was coming but she still wasn't entirely sure how to handle it. "I didn't want you to get upset."

"What made you think I would get upset?" He asked.

"I don't know," she answered honestly, "I didn't want you to feel like you weren't there for me when I needed you."

"So you decided to lie to me?"

"I didn't lie," she said, "I just omitted part of the truth."

"Still a lie in my book, luv." He explained. "I don't care who you hang out with, Buffy, but when you go and do it behind my back it grinds my gears in a bad way. You don't hide something unless there's a reason to do it."

"What reason would that be?" She asked. "Do you honestly think that I have feelings for Riley or something?"

"Well, I would certainly hope not!" Spike said defensively. "Me and Captain Cardboard have absolutely nothing in common and if you're going after the both of us then I'd say we've got one terribly confused Goldilocks on our hands."

Buffy sighed. "I'm not going after Riley, Spike. He is just a friend from work and that's all there will ever be between the two of us."

"What about when I have to leave again?" He asked. "I won't be around but him and that colossal head of his will be."

"Spike," she said as she shook her head in disbelief, "I would never be interested in Riley. I'm more likely to date Clem than I am Riley."

"Now that would be something to see."

"Shut up." She said quickly. "You know how long it took for you to even get a chance with me and I did an awful lot of thinking before I decided I wanted to get involved with you. I had strong feelings for you then and they've practically doubled since you've been gone. I don't really know how, but they have, and the fact that you're worrying so much about this shows that I'm not doing a very good job of showing you that."

He shook his head as he let out a defeated sigh. "Don't say that, Buff."

"No, it's true." She said. "If you honestly think that I would leave you over a couple of months apart here and there then you must have hit your head harder than I did yesterday. We've got our flaws, Spike, but so does every other relationship. You're here when it counts and that's all I care about."

Spike gazed in to her eyes and he knew what she was saying was the truth. The green orbs swirled with a mixture of desperation and sadness that pulled at the strings to his heart like a fish caught on the line. He pulled her face to his quickly and crashed his lips to hers in a passionate kiss as everyone else in the room trained their eyes solely on the movie.

Fuck Captain Cardboard and all the words he'd spewed from the hole in his face he called a mouth. The girl was his and he would do whatever it took to keep it that way.

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**Reviews?**


	16. Chapter 16

**This would have gotten to you guys a few days sooner but I got wrapped up in the Firefly Party for Joss Whedon's birthday and lost an entire day of writing time. I think we did a bit a damage to Netflix with the high amount of traffic we Browncoats got going on the episodes of each hour so maybe someone of importance will take notice of it and give that amazing show another go. Then I was surprised with a trip to the beach and lost two more days. My boyfriend is kind of a Spike.**

**Anyway, on with the show!**

**Chapter 16.**

"What do you mean you invited her on tour?" Anya's voice screeched from the phone.

"I mean exactly what I said, Anya." Spike said with a hint of anger flavoring his voice. "When tour starts up again after the holidays Buffy will be coming with us."

"What exactly is she going to do here?" Anya asked, her tone mirroring his.

"Whatever she damn well pleases." He responded, ever inch of him in stage ass hole persona. It was rare for him to pull a diva-move, but when he did he did it well.

Buffy listened intently from her spot in his bed. Eavesdropping wasn't her normal style, but when someone is having a conversation that is obviously about you ten feet away and separated by nothing but a bathroom door, one tends to overhear.

"Living on the road isn't free, Spike," Anya explained, "it's actually incredibly expensive. We're already overstaffed as it is and adding another person to the mix is really going to cost us."

"Well then maybe we should cut down by knocking off the manager's apprentice." He practically seethed. "What exactly do you do anyway, Anya?"

"This isn't about me, I actually have a job here." Anya shot back. "I earn my keep the same way you do and I just can't justify bringing someone with us for a month that isn't serving any purpose."

Spike sighed. "Look, Anya, like it or not she's coming with us. We're a package deal now, all or nothing."

Anya groaned loudly. She liked Buffy as a person, she really did, but one of the responsibilities she had on tour was keeping the money they were putting out under control. If Glory didn't need so many damn security guards, eleven was her lucky number, then Buffy's visit would be a non-issue. "Fine, I'll send home one of Glory's people, a lot of them are begging to be relieved and I'm sure she won't notice if just one of them goes missing but don't ever say I've never done anything for you."

"Thanks ever so." Without another word Spike hung up the phone and opened the door to his bathroom to see a newly awoken Buffy, still wrapped up to her neck in his comforter, staring over at him as if she'd been caught eating the last cookie from the jar.

"Hi."

Spike let out a breathy chuckle as he leaned against the frame of the bathroom door. "Hi."

"Was that about me?" She asked.

He didn't answer, instead he merely pushed himself away from the doorway and made his leisurely way back over to the bed. "You, my sweet," he said as he tapped the tip of her nose with his forefinger, "were supposed to be sleeping."

"I woke up."

He smiled as he leaned forward to give her lips a tender kiss. Shortly after their conversation on the couch she had admitted to him just how tired she was. He had been more than happy to escort her to his room where he made sure she was comfortable before laying next to her until she fell asleep. He couldn't hold her the way that he had become accustomed to due to her broken ribs, but simply sitting beside her and holding her hand as she fell asleep had been good enough for him.

"How'd you sleep?" He asked tenderly.

She shrugged. "Okay, I guess."

He raised an eyebrow. "You guess?"

"It's hard to comfy with the broken ribs and all." She explained.

"Say no more," he said, "I know the feeling well."

She cocked her head to the side. "You've broken your ribs?"

"Oh yeah," he said with a scoff, "loads of times. Bar fights, dumb childhood accidents, got mugged once."

"Mugged?" She asked.

He nodded. "When the band was first starting out we did a show in New York City, I must have been like twenty one. Came outside after the gig, all of a sudden there's a gun pointed in my face and some bugger's telling me to hand over my money."

"What did you do?" She asked.

"I didn't have anything on me, Oz had taken my wallet earlier in the night because I kept buying Bob cheese fries. We were really drunk and must have ordered like twenty baskets of the sodding things. Anyway, stupid wanker didn't like that answer and next thing I know I'm getting kicked in the head by three of his droogs."

"Droogs?"

"Yeah, like his posse. You've never seen A Clockwork Orange have you?" He asked.

"No."

"Right, gotta get on that one, then." He said. "Anyway, ended up with a busted eye socket, knee knocked out of place, and four beautifully broken ribs."

"Spike, that's terrible." She said with a look of utter horror on her face.

"Kind of funny, actually." He said with a soft laugh.

"How can you find that the least bit funny?"

"Well," he said, "every ounce of trouble we've all ever gotten ourselves in to starts with someone eating cheese fries."

Buffy couldn't help but laugh as she remembered Oz ordering cheese fries the first night that they had met. Spike had gotten himself in to a little trouble that night, but she knew that if she said a word about it he'd have some type of reply about how much it was worth it. So much had happened since then, it was like a roller coaster ride from hell sometimes but she wouldn't change a single thing.

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It was nearing seven o'clock when everyone finally agreed upon what to eat for dinner. Oz and Spike had volunteered to go and pick up their order from Mr. Cho's Chinese Eatery and were due back any minute now. Buffy, Willow, and Xander were cuddled comfortably on the fold out watching a random Discovery Channel program on vultures when Buffy suddenly grabbed her phone off of the coffee table.

"Who are you calling?" Willow asked.

"Riley," she answered, "I just realized that I haven't talked to him since the accident."

"Well, he sounded pretty tired when he called this morning." Xander said. "He might be sleeping."

"I know," Buffy said, "I just want to make sure that he's okay." She typed in his name and the phone began to ring.

"Hello?" His gruff voice answered.

"Hey stranger," Buffy said cheerily, "how are you doing?"

"I've been better." He answered. "I've got two sprained wrists and a broken nose on top of that."

"How's your car?" She asked sympathetically.

"Totaled." He answered shortly. "I really screwed up."

She sighed. "Why don't you jump on a bus and come over to Spike's apartment? We're all here for the next few days and I would love for you two to meet each other."

There was a slight pause on the other end before Riley softly replied. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?" Buffy asked, this wasn't like him.

"Well, we didn't exactly hit it off, Buffy." He explained.

"Are you talking about that night at The Shadow Gallery?" She asked. "That was stage Spike, he's really not like that at all."

"No, that's not what I'm talking about." He said with a bit of anger flavoring his voice. "We've met since then."

"When?" Buffy asked.

She heard Riley let out a deep sigh. "Let's not talk about this now, from what I hear getting you upset is the last thing you need."

"Riley, what are you talking about?"

"Let's just say I was a lot better off after the accident than I am right now."

Xander and Willow could hear bits and pieces of the conversation, but when Buffy's eyes suddenly went wide they knew she had come to the same realization that they had earlier in the day. "Riley, how did you break your nose?"

"Buffy-"

"Answer my question." She said sternly.

He let out another sigh. "I saw Spike at the hospital and we may have had some words."

"And that's how you broke your nose, with words?" She asked, her own anger rising.

"Well," he said, "there may have been more than words."

"How much more?" She asked slowly. She already knew where this was going but she needed to hear him say it.

"We may have had a tussle." He said. "I said a few things that obviously hit a nerve with him and he sucker punched me. No big deal."

"It is a very big deal! What did you say to him that made him hit you?" She asked.

"Buffy, don't worry about it right now." He said. "Just get better and we'll talk about it another time."

Spike Pratt, king of great timing, chose that precise moment to waltz back in to the apartment. "Soups on!" All three of the couch potatoes laying on the fold out turned to look at him. Willow and Xander gave him looks mirroring sheer terror as Buffy glared at him with a look in her eyes that could kill. "What?"

"Riley," she said in to the phone, "I'll call you back." She hung up the phone and practically slammed it down on the coffee table.

_Shit._

Willow got up from the fold out and quickly helped Xander to do the same. "We're going to give you two some privacy, come on Oz." Everyone followed the tiny redhead without a word and went in to Spike's bedroom. They closed the door tightly behind them, but every single one of them sat right up against in an attempt to hear what was going on.

Spike stood like a deer in headlights just inside of the front door with the two bags full of Chinese food still in his hands staring nervously at his obviously angry girlfriend. When Buffy began to slowly stand from the fold out he dropped the food to the ground and moved to help her. He was a little surprised when he was quickly met with a hand stopping his movements, but did as she wished nonetheless. When she finally got steady on her feet she folded her arms over her chest as best she could with her broken arm and stared him straight in the face.

"You broke Riley's nose." She said steadily.

"Yeah." He answered shortly.

"Why?" She asked as she shook her head. "What on Earth possessed you to punch my friend?"

"What on Earth possessed you to take him apartment shopping with you?" He asked in a tone mirroring her own.

"That has nothing to do with this."

"It has everything to do with this." Spike said as he felt his own anger rising. "You gave the boy some small speck of hope and fueled his fantasies of being with you."

"Jesus Christ, Spike!" She yelled. "Riley is just-"

"Just a friend?" He finished for her. "Come on, Buffy, you're not bloody blind."

"What are you talking about?" She asked. "Riley's been nothing but nice to me since the moment I met him."

"And why is that, Buffy?" Spike asked as he crossed his arms over his chest and cocked his head to the side.

"Because he's a good person."

"Christ, could you be any more dense?" He asked as he angrily turned away from her.

"Dense?" She yelled. "You're calling _me _dense?"

"Well you must be if you can't see that the pathetic twat is sodding obsessed with you!"

"You have no idea what you're talking about. Why would you say that?"

"Oh, come on, Buff!" Spike said as he rolled his eyes. "It's beyond obvious that the kid is carrying a torch for you. I can see it and I've only been around him twice."

Buffy shook her head. "It still doesn't give you a reason to hit him, Spike."

"What would you have me do?" Spike asked bitterly. "The bloody git threw it in my face that I'm not around all the time and you want me to just let it go?"

"Yes!" She exclaimed. "I go through the exact same thing every single day of my life!"

"Then you should know how it feels."

"I don't go around punching people for it!" She yelled.

"You didn't have a problem when it was Angel."

She stared at him for a moment, standing across the room from her with his arms folded across his chest and a fire burning in his icy blues. He didn't say a word or move a muscle as he waited for her next reply. "That was different." She said lamely.

"Not from my end, luv." He said. "When I hit Angel I was protecting you, he put his hands on you and even after you'd been a sodding bitch to me I knew it wasn't right. Riley telling me that he was going to make a pass at you when I wasn't around to stop it..."

"Spike," she stopped him with a near whisper, "how many times do I have to tell you that nothing is going to happen?"

"How many times do I have to tell you the same thing?" He asked.

"You can't just go around breaking my friends."

"I know," he sighed, "I had a moment of weakness and did something rash. You were hurt, I was acting like a complete head case and Riley showed up at the wrong moment sprouting all types of bullshit. I won't apologize for what I did, given the chance I'd do it again, but I didn't mean to ruffle your feathers, ducks."

Buffy sighed. "Okay."

"Okay?" Spike asked as his brow wrinkled in confusion. "Okay as in you're not mad anymore?"

"Okay as in I don't know what I am." She slowly began to make her way back over to the loveseat. "I don't know if I'm mad or disappointed or if the pain is making me act like this. I just have no idea."

As her words hit his ears he let the wall he had built up for the conversation tumble as his heart fell to the pit of his stomach. "Buffy," he practically groaned as he moved across the room to collect her pain killers, "why didn't you tell me you were in pain, pet?"

She shrugged as she slowly lowered herself on to the loveseat. "I know how you feel about pills."

"Yeah, for me." He said as he quickly filled her a glass of water. "You're an entirely different story. If you're in pain take the sodding pills."

"I didn't want you to-"

"This isn't about me, luv." He said as he handed her the glass of water and two of the large white pills. "Now take these, they'll make you feel better."

Buffy didn't have to be told twice. Without a second thought she popped the pills in to her mouth and swallowed them in one gulp. Spike ran his hand through her blonde tresses, it was amazing how soft and shiny her hair was even after she had slept on it.

"Don't touch my hair." She said with a mouth still full of pills.

He chuckled softly. "Why not?"

"It's disgusting." She explained as she tossed back a drink of the water and swallowed without much difficulty. "I haven't washed it or anything since before the accident."

"It's fine, luv, not a thing wrong with it." He said as he leaned down to kiss the top of her head softly.

"Was that our first fight?" She asked as she looked up at him.

He chuckled. "I think we've had a few before, but the first official one, yes."

"I don't like fighting with you." She said quietly.

"Neither do I, pet." He said as he gave her head another light kiss. "So, we good? Am I back in your bosom?"

"No," she said quickly, "but if you help me wash my hair you might be."

000000000000

The next week had gone by incredibly quickly. When Spike had left on Sunday morning Buffy was surprised by how much easier it was this time around. It could have been because she knew that he would be back in two weeks, or maybe it was because she had so much to do in that short amount of time she knew she'd have no trouble keeping busy, but all that mattered was that the hard part was over and she'd be seeing him again soon.

She had gone to get her large cast taken off the day before and now one about half the size adorned her wounded arm. Xander had tried to convince her that he should be allowed to sign it, but Buffy didn't want anything to draw attention the large mound of black plaster that she would have until just before 'Cordelia's Huge New Years Eve Extravaganza'. Cordelia was more than happy to extend the invitation to the boys that made up Flesh of the Passions and she knew that her record executive father would be ecstatic over their RSVP.

Buffy's finals had gone rather well and all that was left to do before the semester could be officially called closed was to pack up the dorm and make the long bus ride home. Xander couldn't let anything pass without celebrating and had insisted that they make their last night in town together a party. Buffy had tried to get out of it at first, her ribs were still badly bruised over the entire right side of her body and she was nervous about anybody bumping in to her arm, but a few minutes of shameless pleading on Willow's side was enough to convince her otherwise.

The group hadn't seen too much of Riley since the accident and thanks to the fight between Buffy and Spike they all knew exactly why. Everyone was actually pretty surprised when he had agreed to Buffy's invitation to accompany them to The Fame that night but they knew it was only because of who had done the actual inviting. They had been there for a few hours now and things were just beginning to get interesting.

"Another round for my succulent school sweeties!" Xander yelled to the bartender.

"Does he always do that?" Riley asked as he kept an eye on his friend.

"Only when he's drunk." Willow answered.

Xander was drunk, there was no doubt about that, but drunk Xander was always good time Xander and Buffy and Willow had no problem with that. He grabbed the drinks off of the bar and made his way back over to the table. "For my ladies." He said as he sat the drinks down in front of them. "And Riley, you've got to get your own, sorry brother."

"No problem, I'll be right back." He said as he stood from his seat.

"I'll go with you." Buffy said quickly. Xander and Willow gave her confused glances as a wide smile spread across Riley's face. She didn't give any of them much of a chance to say anything as she began walking towards the bar. She could feel Riley's presence behind her and immediately veered off in the direction of the door. Riley wasn't sure what exactly was going on, but he followed her nonetheless as she exited the busy building.

They stepped outside and Buffy gave a slight shiver as the cold December air hit her skin. Noticing the goosebumps that appeared on her flesh, Riley quickly began to remove his jacket. "Here." He said holding it out to her.

Buffy shook her head. "No, I'm fine."

Riley shrugged as he tossed the jacket over his shoulder, if she wasn't going to wear a jacket then neither was he. "So what are we doing out here?" He asked.

"I actually wanted to talk to you in private about something kind of serious." She explained as fiddled mindlessly with her fingers.

Riley nodded. "Okay, about what?"

"It's about what happened between you and Spike." She clarified slowly.

"Listen, Buffy, I did not mean for that to happen. I was just going to ask him what room you and Xander were in and that was it. He hit me."

"I know." Buffy said raising her hand between them in an almost surrendering motion. "I know you didn't mean to start a fight or anything, but that doesn't mean that you don't share some of the blame in this."

"How so?" Riley asked.

Buffy let out a deep sigh, it was now or never. "Spike told me what you said."

Riley crossed his arms across his chest as he looked at her with a curious expression on his face. "What exactly did he tell you?"

"He told me that you threw it in his face that he wasn't here and basically that you intend to steal me away from him." She explained.

Riley let out an ugly scoff. "Is that all he told you?"

"In so many words, yes." She answered.

"I'm guessing he didn't tell you about how he threatened me and told me to stay away from you?" He asked.

"No, but I had kind of already figured that he did. He's very protective." She said.

"And you're still taking his side?"

"Riley, this isn't about taking sides." She said seriously. "Yeah, Spike was wrong for hitting you but you were wrong for trying to play the better man card. You know how I feel about people bringing up the fact that he's on tour most of the time and you used that exact same argument against him."

"I'm sorry," Riley said sincerely, "but I was only telling the truth. You deserve better than a part time boyfriend, Buffy."

"Well maybe that's not what I want, Riley." She said as she let the anger she was feeling toward him slip in to her slightly raised voice.

"What do you want?" Riley asked, annoyance clearly in his voice.

"Right now I want Spike." She said strongly. "I know that the relationship that we have isn't exactly perfect and I know that one day we might want different things. I'm not the stupid little girl that everyone seems to think I am and I'm not under the illusion that Spike and I will be together forever, any number of things could happen that would tear us apart, but right now I'm with him and I am the happiest I have ever been."

"You can't be serious." Riley said as he shook his head in disbelief.

"I am, Riley, and if you're truly my friend then you should be happy for me." She said.

"I can't be happy for you when you're dating some loser in a rock band." He said, his voice just above a whisper. "You need someone who can be there for you, Buff, someone who you can count on."

"The moment Spike heard that I had gotten in to a car accident he jumped on a plane, took a four hour flight, and literally ran to the hospital." Buffy said angrily. "He sat in the lobby with my family and waited to make sure that I was okay. Does that sound unreliable to you?"

"I could have been there in fifteen minutes." Riley shot back.

"And had you not been in the accident with me I would have wanted you there," she said softly, "but only as a friend."

"That can change."

"Maybe it can," she said, "but not right now. Right now you're my friend and that's all I want you to be. If you can't do that then I'm sorry but I'm not going to be backed in to a corner. If push comes to shove and you make me choose, you won't like the outcome."

"What are you saying?" Riley asked.

"I'm saying that you're my friend, Riley, but Spike is my boyfriend. He may not be around all of the time but it doesn't change the way that I feel about him. He is the best thing that has ever happened to me and when it comes down to it I'll always be in his corner."

"So are you saying that we can't be friends?"

"That's not what I'm saying at all." She said quietly. "What I'm saying is don't make me choose."

"What do you mean?" Riley asked.

"Don't make me choose between being friends with you or staying with Spike," she said seriously, "in the end it's going to be him. It'll always be him."

Before Riley had a chance to reply, drunk Xander plowed through the front door of the club and sauntered towards them. "Buffy!" He called happily. "I've been looking all over for you! Come back inside, I don't want you to miss it."

Buffy laughed as Xander grabbed her by the hands and pulled her back inside as Riley followed close behind them. She hoped that their talk would have settled things between them, in a perfect world she would have wanted everything to go back to normal and for the entire incident to be forgotten like a bad dream. She knew she was being a bit too optimistic, Spike would never befriend the man and she wasn't sure Riley would ever let her forget that he had broken his nose, but she decided that she wanted to have hope. As Xander guided her back over to the table where Willow still sat a familiar guitar chord filled the air of the club.

"Oh, my God." She said as Xander turned around, a huge grin on his face. "You did this didn't you?"

"I sure did!" He yelled as the melody of one of Flesh of the Passions hits swam through the air. The last thing she had expected was for Xander to jump up on to the table and point at her as he started to lip sync her boyfriend's lyrics dramatically.

_Another day is going by,  
I'm thinking about you all the time.  
But you're out there,  
And I'm here waiting._

Buffy glanced around and saw almost everyone in the club crowding around them as Xander did what he must have thought was a spot on imitation of Spike.

_And I wrote this letter in my head,_  
_Cuz so many things were left unsaid,_  
_But now you're gone,_  
_And I can't think straight._

_This could be the one last chance,_  
_To make you understand..._

He jumped off of the table with a flying leap and landed on his knees right in front of Buffy. It seemed like it would have hurt, but Xander just kept on going as if nothing had happened.

_I'd do anything,_  
_Just to hold you in my arms,_  
_To try to make you laugh,_  
_Cuz somehow I can't put you in the past._  
_I'd do anything,_  
_Just to fall asleep with you._  
_Will you remember me?_  
_Cuz I know,_  
_I won't forget you._

Xander was too wrapped up in himself and his intoxicated antics to notice the security guards begin to make their way over as he grabbed a beer bottle and held it upside down as if it were a microphone. He began to walk along the edge of the crowd, in his state of inebriation he thought he really was a rock star. 

_Together we broke all the rules,_  
_Dreaming of dropping out of school,_  
_And leave this place,_  
_To never come back._

He grabbed a random girl from the watching crowd and spun her around as well as he could.

_So now maybe after all these years,_  
_If you miss me have no fear,_  
_I'll be here,_  
_I'll be waiting._

This could be the one last chance to make you understand,  
And I just can't let you leave me once again.

He let the stunned girl go before doing a quick head bang with the music and going back to his little show.

_I'd do anything,_  
_Just to hold you in my arms,_  
_To try to make you laugh,_  
_Cuz somehow I can't put you in the past._  
_I'd do anything,_  
_Just to fall asleep with you._  
_Will you remember me?_  
_Cuz I know,_  
_I won't forget you._

He dropped his beer bottle microphone and quickly grabbed Buffy around the waist, forcing her in to a slow dancing motion with him while she laughed harder than she ever had before.

_I close my eyes,_  
_And all I see is you._  
_I close my eyes,_  
_I try to sleep,_  
_I can't forget you._  
_Nanana. Nanana._  
_And I'd do anything for you._  
_Nanana. Nanana._

He let her go just in time to do another well timed head bang before doing what could only be classified as a power slide across the open area around him. The security guards were about half way through the crowd, but with a little luck he was sure to finish his song.

_I'd do anything,_  
_Just to hold you in my arms,_  
_To try to make you laugh,_  
_Cuz somehow I can't put you in the past._  
_I'd do anything,_  
_Just to fall asleep with you._  
_Will you remember me?_  
_Cuz I know,_  
_I won't forget you._

_I'd do anything,_  
_To fall asleep with you._  
_I'd do anything,_  
_There's nothing I won't do._  
_I'd do anything,_  
_To fall asleep with you._  
_I'd do anything,_  
_Cuz I know,_  
_I won't forget you._

000000000000

"And then we were promptly escorted out of the club." Buffy said in to her phone.

"Well I would hope so!" Spike yelled with a laugh in his voice. "I've seen Xander dance and that man has just definitely brought shame upon my good name!"_  
_

_000000000000_

**I just can't get Nick Brendon doing karaoke out of head! **

**Reviews keep me writing. :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**My roomies think that I am absolutely insane because I've been rocking out to random Christmas songs to get me in the spirit to write the next couple of chapters. Bah, I say! Who doesn't want a little Christmas in (almost) July?**

**I know everyone is excited about Buffy and Spike going on tour together but we've still got a few things to get through before that happens. This chapter is going to move things forward quite a bit, by about a week actually, but since the demand for Road Spuffy is so high I don't think any of you will really mind.**

**Chapter 17.**

Hell hath no fury like the 7:10 bus ride back to Sunnydale. It probably wouldn't have been quite as bad without her multiple bags of luggage littering the seat next to her earning quite a few angry looks as the seats filled up, but she had no other options. She would never ask Xander to drive her home and it wasn't as if she had a car, or even drivers license, of her own. She'd deal with the early Wednesday morning bus just like she did at the beginning and end of every other semester by listening to her Ipod and avoiding the glances of the other passengers.

She felt her phone vibrate from her purse and quickly pulled it from it's hiding spot.

_Spike:_

_Good morning, luv. Did you make it to the bus okay?_

She smiled as she read his text, he never forgot a single detail of what she told him.

_Buffy:_

_Yes, I did. It's just as cramped and angry as I remember._

_Spike:_

_I''d drive you if I could, but then you'd never make it home._

Buffy laughed softly to herself.

_Buffy:_

_Oh yeah, and why's that?_

_Spike:_

_Simple, pet, wouldn't be able to keep my hands off of you. Two hour trip would take us days._

Buffy felt the blood rush to her cheeks and she was sure that she had a pretty deep blush in her face.

_Buffy:_

_You didn't seem to have a problem when you were here last week._

_Spike:_

_You were hurt._

Buffy glanced at her small black cast, a slight frown on her features.

_Buffy:_

_I still have the cast on._

_Spike:_

_Not for long._

000000000000

"Who are you talking to?" Darla asked as she took a seat next to Spike on the long sofa lining the left side of the tour bus. It wasn't a rare occurrence for her and Andrew to ride along with them and leave Glory alone in the other bus, she was constantly having a fit over one thing or the other and everyone could tell that it was only a matter of time before she did something drastic and completely insane, honestly they were all surprised that she hadn't already.

"Do you really have to ask?" Bob said from the floor between them.

Darla smiled as she 'accidentally' kicked Bob in the back of the head as she crossed one leather booted leg over the other. "How is our little Buffy doing?" She asked in sincere curiosity. When she and Bob had heard about Buffy and Willow's car accident, almost an hour after Spike and Oz had left, it took all of Anya's persuading skills to get them to stick around and man the tour fort. Anya had done an incredibly good job of keeping the news of the accident from spreading and getting in to the press and she knew from prior experience that if Bob and Darla took off as well everyone would figure out that something serious had happened.

"She's fine," Spike answered, "smaller cast and her ribs are almost healed."

"Did you tell her about-"

"No," Spike said quickly, "she has no idea what's going on."

"But you told her parents and little sister," Darla said, "aren't you worried that they may have spilled the beans?"

Spike shook his head. "Joyce wouldn't want to ruin the surprise and Dawn's got more sense than that."

"She's seventeen." Darla said pointedly.

"And still very much under her parents' thumbs." He interjected. "She won't say a word."

000000000000

"Oh, my God! You're going to love it!" Dawn squealed as she pulled Buffy in to the house by her good wrist. "I wasn't supposed to tell you but I have to it! He's just so cute!"

Buffy followed her younger sister without question as she began to run up the stairs of the house toward their bedrooms. Everything was still exactly the same as it had been when she had come to visit for Thanksgiving. Living the busy city life that she did during her schooling made her really begin to appreciate the unchanging appearance to her childhood home. Nothing about it was ever different, the furniture had been replaced a few times due to accidental stains and the changing of the times and styles, but no matter what new couch or table made its way in to the house it always looked just the way it had her entire life.

Dawn burst in to her room, the second door on the right side of the hallway, and pointed excitedly in the corner. When Buffy was finally able to see what had her sister in such a state she couldn't help the immediate jaw drop that occurred not a moment later.

"A puppy?" Buffy asked. "Mom and Dad got you a puppy?"

"Yes!" Dawn shrieked as she ran over the crate that sat in the corner. She pulled the tiny rottweiler out of the newspaper lined cage. "Isn't he cute?"

"Adorable." Buffy answered as she watched her sister cuddle the puppy against her chest. She had always wanted a puppy and it struck her as odd that her parents would choose to finally get one now.

"I know right? He's only like three months old." Dawn said as she sat down on her bed and placed the dog in her lap. "I named him Riley."

000000000000

Spike's laugh was so loud that she was sure her mother must have heard it through the phone from the other room. "It's not that funny, Spike." She said as she tried to keep the laugh out of her own voice.

"Yes it bloody well is, luv." He responded while still in the midst of a laughing fit. "Has she ever even met the ponce?"

"No, she picked that name right out of the blue." Buffy said. "It's just kind of annoying."

"What's that?"

"Dawn." She answered. "This is going to sound really selfish and immature but I've been begging for us to get a puppy my entire life. I'm away at college and this is when they finally decide to get one? It just seems really weird and unfair."

"Filling the empty spot you left in the family home?" Spike suggested.

"Good to know you feel like I can be replaced by a dog." Buffy said jokingly.

"Well," Spike said, "dogs are infinitely better than people."

"Shut up." She said with a laugh.

"It's true." He said. "When's the last time a dog was crying in the middle of a shopping mall over not getting a video game? When's the last time a poodle asked you for money or decided it wanted to talk at the theater?"

"Dogs aren't allowed at the theater, anyway that's not the point." She said quickly. "I just feel like something is going on, it's weird."

"I think maybe you're looking a little too far in to this one, pet." He said reassuringly. "I'm sure the little bit has been going at them harder than you did about getting the animal and they finally cracked to shut her up."

Buffy sighed. "I hope you're right."

"I'm always right." He said proudly. "Other than the pup is everything good back at the home front?"

"Yeah," Buffy said, "I'm going Christmas shopping tomorrow with Mom and Dawn so that should be pretty fun."

"Have you bought anything yet?" Spike asked.

"Nope." She answered. "We do this every year, we call it the Summers Dash. We go to the mall and run all over the place like chickens with our heads cut off and do all of our shopping in one day."

"Sound hectic." Spike commented.

"It is," she agreed, "but it's really fun, too. When we're done we go out to dinner and a movie and just have a nice little girls day out."

"Gonna get your nails done?" He asked sarcastically.

"Hey!" She yelled playfully. "Don't make fun of the Summers Dash, Mr. Pratt, or you will get absolutely no presents!"

"Is that a threat?" He asked. "Gonna tell Santa on me, luv?"

Buffy sighed as she tried to cover up the amusement in her tone. "Yes, Spike, I'm going to tell Santa not to bring you or your friends any toys."

"Bob's going to be awful upset about that." He said.

"Upset about what?" Buffy laughed as she heard Bob's voice yell from the background.

"Buffy's gone and canceled Christmas for you, mate." Spike explained.

"Why the hell did she do that?" Bob yelled.

"It's Spike's fault!"

"Apparently it's my fault." Spike repeated.

"Well apologize! Make it better! I got you something Buffy!"

Buffy's eyes went wide. "Bob got me something?" She asked.

"Of course he did," Spike answered, "so did Oz and I'm pretty sure Darla did, too. She's taken quite a liking to you."

"Oh," Buffy said in almost shock, "well good. I'll have a friend when I go on the road with you, then."

"Something like that." Spike answered, it wasn't his place to spill the lesbian beans. "Listen, ducks, we're on in ten so I've got to go."

"Alright." Buffy answered.

"I'll call you after the show. Miss you."

"I miss you, too."

000000000000

Buffy, Dawn, and Joyce were all up at the crack of dawn the next morning ready to get their day of marathon shopping started. As was customary they stopped at a local Starbucks before rushing to the mall in an attempt to beat the crowd. Buffy had a pretty good idea of what to get everyone on her list except for one, the one that really mattered the most to her. Her mother had told her to just look around, it would come to her when she saw it, and that was exactly what she planned to do.

Buffy, Willow, Xander, Spike, Oz, Bob, and, much to everyone's surprise, Faith had all planned a get together at Xander's apartment for the 29th for an after Christmas gift exchange. This was common for the original three of what Bob had recently nicknamed "The Scoobies" and having a few extra guests to the shindig wasn't going to stop tradition. An invitation had been extended to Riley but nobody was quite sure if he would show or not. Buffy figured that just to be on the safe side she would buy him a gift and already had a pretty good idea of what she would get.

The three women walked in to the main entrance of the mall looking like a force to be reckoned with. Their first stop was a large boutique where they all had no problems picking out clothes, makeup, and accessories for their female friends and family.

"Buffy, look at this!" Dawn called from one of the many jewelry counters.

Buffy put the shirt that she had been eying back on to the rack and made her way over to her sister. She was pointing through the glass to a silver bracelet in the shape of a small snake. The eyes on the intricate reptile were dark blue diamond like gems and she could instantly see Willow wearing it. She had loved interesting jewelry for as long as Buffy had known her and she knew that this was a perfect match for her best friend. As she continued to browse around the store she found a few more things that she decided to pick up for her, but she knew that the bracelet would definitely be the highlight of Willow's presents.

Before she knew it she was nearly done her shopping. The only people left to buy for were her sister, mother, and of course Spike. She hadn't seen anything all day that screamed at her for him and she was starting to feel a little downtrodden about the entire thing. She looked down at the necklace he had given her, true to her word she had worn it every single day since she had received it. He was so good at giving gifts and she couldn't find one measly thing for him.

"What about a fedora?" Dawn asked as she stuffed a piece of pizza in to her mouth. "Fedoras are cool, right?"

"No way am I buying Spike a fedora, that is the last thing he would ever want." Buffy said with a laugh. "Actually, he has everything he could want. I'd get him new door handles for his car but he's just so attached to the broken ones that it would break his heart if they were gone."

"Don't worry, honey," Joyce said from across the small food court table, "you'll find something, I promise." Joyce put a hand to her head, applying a bit of pressure to her temple the way that she had been doing all day.

"Are you okay, Mom?" Buffy asked.

"Yes, yes I'm fine." She answered.

Buffy lifted her purse from the floor and began to rummage through it quickly. "I think I've got some Tylenol in here somewhere."

"Oh, no, don't worry about it." Joyce said with a wave of her hand. "It's just a little headache, the cold air must be getting to me."

"Do you need anything?" Dawn asked.

Joyce smiled sweetly at her youngest daughter. "No, I'm fine. Let's just get back to shopping, okay?"

Dawn smiled as she gave her mother a quick nod before the two stood from the table, taking their trays and moving toward the trashcans across the way. Buffy collected her things and did the same, but when she caught back up to them she grabbed Dawn lightly by the arm and pulled her closer to her.

"What?" Her sister asked.

"How long has Mom been having headaches?" She asked quietly.

Dawn shrugged. "I don't know, a while I guess."

"Has she gone to the doctor or anything?" Buffy asked.

Dawn shook her head. "No, I don't think so. They're just headaches."

Buffy nodded as she released her sister and the three continued on their way down the busy shopping mall.

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After the Summers girls had finished the shopping they needed to get done for their friends and family it was time for them to split up and shop for one another. Buffy and Dawn had already decided on the joint presents they were getting for their mother and father and each was designated one to go and pick up. As Buffy walked through the mall on her way to pick up what they had chosen for their mother she just happened to glance to her left and that was when saw it. It was sitting motionless in the front window of the shop but it may as well have been screaming at her.

Leaving her previous mission behind for the time being she rushed in to the store, one she had never been inside before, and quickly found the teenager who had been given the task of running the small shop for the day. "Can I help you?" He asked as he flipped a piece of his long, jet black hair out of his face.

Buffy turned and pointed toward the item in the window. "I need that."

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It was almost eleven by the time the girls got home that night. They had gone and seen a romantic comedy after their shopping was done and then had a nice dinner at a small Italian restaurant in the city. Joyce had said that she was tired and went to bed almost immediately but Buffy and Dawn were both content with staying up and watching movies in the living room together. Dawn loved when Buffy came home for the holidays, it was nothing but late nights, junk food, and fun times with the older Summers sister and Dawn wished she could have more of them. The fact that she was dating a celebrity made Dawn want to spend even more time around her, she would never admit it to Buffy but she had had a huge crush on Spike since she had gotten her hands on the first Passions album a few years earlier. It was almost surreal to her that this was her life, it was like a soap opera and she loved it.

"Have you talked to Spike today?" Dawn asked curiously as Riley Dog jumped up on to her lap.

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, we've been texting back and forth all day. Thursday's are driving days and he doesn't have shows so he's bored and blows up my phone all day long."

"Aw," Dawn said with a smile, "that's so cute."

Buffy laughed. "Yeah, I know."

"So," Dawn began, "when is he coming back?"

"He'll be back in LA on the 28th and I'm going to head back up there for New Years with my friends just like I did last year." Buffy explained.

"Does it bother you that you won't see him on Christmas?" Dawn asked.

Buffy shrugged. "A little bit, but he can't help it. It's his job and I get that we can't be together whenever we'd like. I'm just happy for the time I do get with him."

"I would be, too." Dawn said. "It's got to be hard when he goes on tour and your left at home."

Buffy narrowed her eyes for a moment, contemplating something before quickly jumping up from the couch and looking in to the kitchen. Seeing that no one else was around she walked over to the loveseat and sat as close to Dawn as she could. "If I tell you something right now, you promise not to say anything?" She asked in a whisper.

Dawn nodded. "Of course."

"After the holidays when I get my cast off," Buffy said as she gave the room one more look around, "I'm going on tour with Passions for a month."

"Oh, my God!" Dawn squealed quietly. "Buffy, that is so cool!"

Buffy smiled. "Mom and Dad don't know yet so keep it hush hush."

"I will." Dawn said happily clapping her hands together. "My sister is touring with rock stars! You have to tell them tomorrow so we can rub Claire's face in it the entire time she's here."

Buffy smiled to herself, that wasn't a bad idea.

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"Girls!" Joyce's irritated voice awoke them early the next morning.

Buffy heard Dawn's loud groan as she opened her eyes. "What, Mom?"

"Not only did you fall asleep in my living room, but you left the television and half of the lights on." Joyce said irritatedly as she picked the blanket up off of Dawn's drowsy form.

"We watched a horror movie and didn't want to be in the dark." Buffy explained. "I'm sorry, we didn't think we were actually going to fall asleep."

"What time is it?" Dawn asked.

"It's almost 2:30." Joyce said.

"In the afternoon?" Buffy asked in shock, she hadn't slept in this late since she was sixteen!

"Yes, Buffy." Joyce answered. "How late were you two up last night?"

"I don't know." Buffy said.

"I remember watching the second round of Adult Swim after Darkness Falls was over so it must have been at least four in the morning when we went to sleep." Dawn reasoned as she turned toward the back of the couch.

"No, Dawn, you have to get up now!" Joyce yelled as she hit her daughter lightly on the arm. "Your father's family is going to be getting here in the next hour and you two are still sleeping."

"I'm so sorry, Mom." Buffy said as she stood from the sofa.

"Well you're going to be sorry if you two don't get upstairs and start getting ready." Joyce said as she finished folding Dawn's blanket. "You know how much your grandmother likes to take pictures and you two look like you got hit by a truck."

"Poor choice of words." Buffy said as she folded her own blanket.

Dawn laughed as she finally stood from the couch. "I think your hair was actually in a better state when you did get hit by a truck, Buffy."

Buffy glanced across the room and looked in to the large mirror that hung on the wall, Dawn wasn't lying. Her hair was matted and tangled on the side of her head in a huge birds nest of a mess. She turned around just in time to be blinded by the flash of Dawn's phone snapping a picture. "What the hell are you doing?" Buffy asked as she rubbed her eyes.

Dawn typed in a few numbers before answering her. "Sending that picture to Spike."

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Every December 23rd all of the Summers family would show up at the house at 1630 Revello Drive and stayed there until December 26th. The day that they arrived was always a somewhat formal affair, if you're going to see your entire family you can't possibly let them see you in jeans and a t-shit! Buffy honestly loved having a reason to dress up, it was fun to get all dolled up once in a while, but when she really thought about it she realized what a stupid tradition it was. The Summers as a family were hardly struggling for money but they weren't rich by any means either. They were a normal working class group of people that had a few members with the issue of having a wine taste on beer budget.

Regardless of how silly the tradition was Buffy and Dawn were holed up in Buffy's room with Riley Dog helping one another get ready at a leisurely pace. They knew that people were already downstairs waiting but it didn't really bother them to make them wait. Neither of the two really wanted to deal with Claire again and, truth be told, their father's side of the family wasn't exactly fun.

"Look," Dawn said from her spot on Buffy's bed, "now even Riley is fancy."

Buffy turned and saw that Dawn had taken it upon herself to decorate her dog with a bright red bow on his green collar. He looked absolutely adorable as he looked at her with his tongue hanging out of his mouth and tiny stub of a tail wagging on his tiny behind. "Yes, Dawn, he looks gorgeous. Now come over here and let me do your makeup."

Dawn didn't have to be told twice. She put Riley Dog down on the floor and moved to sit in the little chair in front of Buffy's vanity. Moments like this made her happy to have a sister, if Buffy had been born a boy she wouldn't have anyone to prepare for these torturous family gatherings with. Buffy made quick work of applying her sister's makeup and took great care to make sure that the colors she was using would match the outfit that she had picked out. Within five minutes she was done and Dawn was free to go and get dressed in the other corner of the room.

Buffy looked at her own face in the mirror and quickly dusted it with a bit of concealer, a dab of lip gloss, and some neutrally toned shimmering eyeshadow. Spike had been on her mind all day long and she was a bit concerned about why she hadn't heard from him. She knew that he had a couple of extra things to do today, an interview before their show and a photo shoot for a magazine article about the band, but he would normally text her between appointments. He hadn't been missing in action like this since the first day of the tour and she didn't like the feeling that it gave her. She applied some mascara to her lashes and a thin line of eyeliner before calling herself done and turning to grab her phone.

_To Spike:_

_Hey, haven't heard from you today. Call me when you get the chance. Xoxo_

She sat the phone back down on her vanity and moved to change in to her clothing, a distant and somewhat sad look on her face as she did so. "Buffy, what's wrong?" Dawn asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing."

"You're an awful liar." She said as she sat cross legged in the middle of her bed with Riley Dog in her lap again. She was already obsessed with the little thing and she had only had him for a few days.

"I haven't heard from Spike today, that's all." She explained as she stripped herself of her robe and threw it on to the back of her vanity chair. She grabbed the deep red silk top and threw it on over her black lace bra, buttoning it quickly before pulling her black pencil skirt over the matching underwear and pulling the entire look together with a thick black belt around the small of her waist.

"He's just busy." Dawn answered.

Buffy sighed. "I'm sure you're right."

Dawn couldn't help the smile that lit up her face as she heard the stressed tone in her sisters voice. "You have nothing to worry about, Buffy, okay? Trust me."

When Buffy heard the laugh etched in to her sisters words she couldn't help but glance over at her in confusion. She was looking at her with the most amused look she had ever seen, smiling like the cat that had just eaten the canary. "What?"

"Nothing," Dawn answered, "just trust me."

Buffy cocked her head to the side. "You know something."

"I know that we'd better get our shoes on and head downstairs." Dawn said as she moved from the bed and over to the corner of the room, grabbing both pairs of heels that sat there and bringing them over to her sister.

"Dawn, you're withholding information from me." Buffy said seriously, she didn't like Dawn knowing something that she didn't, it was creepy.

"Maybe," Dawn answered as she slipped her shoes on, "maybe not. Come on, we've got to go and act like we want to be here."

Dawn opened the door to Buffy's room and rushed her sister out of it. The girl knew something alright, there was just no way she was going to tell Buffy that.

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Buffy descended the stairs and plastered her fake 'bar smile' on to her face as she prepared to face her family. This was the one time of the year that everyone was in one place and it just had to be at her house. Her grandmother was the first one to notice that she and Dawn had joined the group of people in the living room and she wasted no time in rushing over to them and giving them each a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

"There's my girls!" She exclaimed happily. "Dawn, you are getting so big! Buffy, you get more and more lovely every time that I see you."

Buffy's smile widened. "Thanks Mom-mom. How have you been?"

"Just lovely, dear, wonderful." She said. "You're grandfather and I are going to Florida for two months starting in January and we're so excited about it."

"That should be fun," Dawn said, "I've never been to Florida."

"Now that's a shame," their grandmother said, "we'll take you with us next year."

Dawn smiled. "Okay."

Buffy smiled, but on the inside all she wanted to do was give her sister a hug. She had heard empty promises like this from her Grandmother a million times over the years and the woman had not once gone through with any of the things she had told the girls she would do. Buffy used to get upset when the plans she thought she had would fall through, but after twenty two years she had gotten used to it.

"Look, there's your Grandfather now, Richard!" Their Grandmother called gently.

The older man turned around and a smile instantly appeared on his face. "Hey!" He yelled as she marched over to his granddaughters. He quickly enveloped both of them in a single hug and gave them each a kiss on the forehead. Out of all of their relatives he was definitely their favorite. "How are my girls doing?"

"We're good." Dawn answered.

"I hear better than good," he said, "I hear Buffy's got herself quite the boyfriend."

Buffy laughed. "That I do."

"Hope he's better than Claire's." He said quietly. "Kids in the kitchen stoned out of his mind staring at the picture of the chef like he's going to hurt him."

Buffy and Dawn both laughed as they peered in to their kitchen, sure enough there was some random boy in there, around Dawn's age, loosely holding Claire's hand. He was staring at the wall across from him as if he was pondering the meaning of life and not paying a bit of attention to anyone around him.

Buffy laughed as she straightened back up. "Well, we can't all be winners."

Her grandfather smiled. "That's my girl. I've got to go talk to your father, you two enjoy the party."

Buffy smiled. "We will."

As the man took his exit Dawn grabbed Buffy's arm and rushed her in to the dining room so that they could get a better look at the kid Claire had brought along with her. "Look at him," Dawn said, "he's so out of it."

Buffy laughed. "I know, I don't even think he knows where he is."

"Probably not," Dawn said, "he probably needs to be high to put up with Claire."

"Hello there, girls." Buffy and Dawn both jumped when a very recognizable voice startled them from behind. They both turned quickly to see their Aunt Karen standing there, a wine glass in her hand and eyes already a bit glassy.

"Hi." Dawn said awkwardly, she knew she had been caught.

"How are you, Aunt Karen?" Buffy asked quickly.

"Oh, I'm fine." She answered quickly. "This wine is just the thing I needed to deal with this entire Christmas thing."

Buffy smiled. "I hear you there."

"I couldn't help but notice you two staring at Timmy." Karen said as she took another sip of her wine. "Such a good kid, musician in a local band, too."

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "You don't say."

Karen nodded. "Where's your boyfriend, Buffy? Spot, was it?"

"Spike." Dawn corrected angrily from her sister's side.

"He's still on tour, actually." Buffy answered. "He'll be back the 28th."

"So he won't be making an appearance this weekend, then?" She asked.

Buffy secretly bit the inside of her lip, she would try and rub that one in her face. "It would seem that way, Aunt Karen, yes."

Karen gave her a bitter smile. "Pity."

Buffy wanted nothing more than to throw her aunt a witty comment but her sister's arm locking with her's helped her to keep her cool as she slowly began to pull her away from the vile woman. "We're going to go and find our mom, we'll see you later."

"Till then, dears, enjoy your party."

Dawn nodded and pulled her sister in to the kitchen, holding her close to her body so that she could whisper in to her ear. "Aunt Karen is such a bitch."

Buffy nodded. "Yes she is."

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The next few hours went by without much destruction being left behind in their wake. Hank's brother Mike had showed up a little late to the party and Joyce's sister Sarah's flight had been delayed and she and her husband, Dave, wouldn't be arriving until the next morning. Everyone had congregated in the living room and all of the men were watching a college football game while the women, plus Timmy, all sat around talking aimlessly about this, that, and the other thing. Buffy almost felt bad for the kid, Claire had his hand in a vice grip and there was no way in hell he was happy just sitting around the knitting circle listening to everyone's stories, but he sure was taking it like a champ.

"So Buffy," Claire said as her grandmother finished up her story, "what happened to your arm?"

Buffy glanced down at the small black cast on her arm, she had almost forgotten it was even there. "I was in a car accident a few weeks ago."

"Oh my," her grandmother said as she raised a hand to cover her mouth, "nothing serious I hope!"

Buffy smiled. "I had a couple of broken ribs and messed up my arm a little bit, but I'll be fine."

"Was your boyfriend with you?" Claire asked, practically spitting the word 'boyfriend'.

"No," Buffy answered nonchalantly, "a few friends and I were out looking at apartments and we got hit by an SUV."

Claire let out a sarcastic snort. "If it was my boyfriend he would have come to the hospital, wouldn't you, Timmy?" Timmy nodded slowly and Claire beamed at him as if he had said the most wonderful thing in the world.

"Actually Claire," Joyce spoke up, "Spike was there. He took a four hour plane ride just to stay for the weekend and make sure that Buffy was okay."

"Oh, now isn't that romantic?" Grandmother Summers asked happily. "It's one of those things you see in movies."

Buffy smiled. "Yeah, it was pretty sweet. He's a really great guy."

"And so good looking." Joyce added with a wink in her daughter's direction.

Buffy laughed. "Yeah, he's not too bad."

A sudden knock on the door caught everyone's attention and they were all wondering who it could be. "Could you get that, Buff?" Hank asked from his spot on the couch.

Buffy rolled her eyes, he was about ten feet closer to it than she was and the game wasn't even very interesting. Nonetheless, she got to her feet and made her way over to the door. She opened it quickly and when she saw who was standing on the opposite side of it, deep red roses in his outstretched hand, her heart practically leapt from her chest.

"Spike!"

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**Go ahead, yell at me. :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**It's so easy to tell when I have a few days off of work.**

**I'm posting now, so you can all stop telling Santa to forget about me.**

**Also, for anyone wondering Timmy is actually based on my brother. Actually, I don't think 'based' is the correct word. My brother Timmy is the Timmy in this story, but if he ever dated someone like Claire I would kick her little ass. I told him I put him in my fic and his response was, "Well, I am pretty bad ass and I am typically stoned at Christmas." He then grabbed a bottle of water and then looks back at me all concerned. "...Do people like me?"**

**One more thing, it's very strange when you're trying to write a sex scene and Third Eye Blind's song "Deep Inside of You" comes on your Ipod. **

**Chapter 18.**

Buffy was in his arms in an instant. The flowers fell to the floor in a forgotten pile as he lifted her off of the ground and spun her around on the front porch. He closed his eyes as he let his head rest in the crook between her neck and shoulder and tightened his grip on her in the smallest way. "Christ, I missed you so much." He whispered in to her neck as his lips found her neck in a gentle kiss.

Buffy couldn't help the single tear that escaped her own closed eye as she held him as tightly as she could. "I missed you, too. I can't believe you're really here."

Sensing the multiple pairs of prying eyes focusing in on them from just inside the house he lowered her to the ground and kept an arm wrapped around her waist until he was sure that she had found her balance in the heels she was wearing. The moment she became steady, however, he pulled her closer to him and rested his forehead against her's as his hands found her perfectly outlined waist.

"Sorry I didn't call." He whispered.

"I don't even care," she responded, "I am just so happy you're here."

"Buffy," her father called from the doorway, "he's been on four different flights today."

"Five." He corrected quietly so only she would hear.

"Invite him in, he's got to be exhausted." Hank finished.

Buffy smiled as she pulled away and took hold of his hand in her own. She led him inside the house and over to her waiting relatives. "Spike, this is my grandmother and grandfather." She said as the old couple walked up to them in a state of happy curiosity.

Spike didn't hesitate for a moment before extending his hand to them. "Nice to meet you both."

Buffy's grandfather shook his hand as her grandmother smiled from ear to ear. "We've heard so much about you, dear."

"Good things, I hope." Spike said in total charm mode.

"Nothing but." Her grandmother said. "You were right, Joyce, he is handsome."

Spike chuckled softly as the older couple moved to the side and made room for the next bunch. "This is my Uncle Mike."

"Four flights," Uncle Mike said as he shook his head and extended his hand to Spike, "that's got to be a jetlag from hell."

"Worth it." Spike answered without skipping a beat.

"And I'm sure you remember Aunt Karen and Claire." Buffy said as an almost afterthought.

"Where's my niblet?" He asked as he glanced around the room.

"I'm over here." Dawn called from the other side of the room. Spike turned and was surprised to see her standing against the door frame between the kitchen and living room with a deck of cards in her hand and an eyebrow raised just like her sister. "Ready for me to kick your butt at cards again?"

"Excuse me?" He asked as he tilted his head forward and put his hands on his hips. "I believe I beat you last time."

"Wrong," Dawn said quickly, "you won one out of two."

"Best of three?"

Dawn nodded.

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After half an hour of the single most intense game of Go Fish ever played ended in Spike quite obviously throwing the game everyone was free to go about their night much the way they had been before the latest arrival. Joyce, Dawn, Grandmother Summers, Karen, Claire, and poor little Timmy were all still huddled by the fireplace continuing their conversations from earlier. Hank, Mike, and his father were still glued to the television and Spike and Buffy had gone off in to a corner of the room by themselves. Spike sat comfortably in the black leather comfy chair as Buffy took her perch on the thick armrest. His arm was wrapped snugly around her waist and her legs were thrown casually across his lap. Her arm rested gently on one of his shoulders while her fingers played absentmindedly with the soft blonde curls at the base of his neck.

"You're family's nice." Spike said quietly.

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, we've got a few more people showing up tomorrow. My Aunt Sarah and Uncle Dave have a five year old son, Ethan, and he just loves Christmas."

"All five year olds love Christmas, Buff," Spike said, "just look at Bob."

Buffy laughed. "What does Bob have to do with anything?"

"Five year old in a twenty five year old body, trust me."

Buffy laughed as she leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek as Spike laced his long fingers between the ones on her casted hand. "I still can't believe you're here."

"I can't believe Dawn didn't ruin the surprise." He countered. "I was sure she was going to explode the second you got home."

Buffy laughed softly. "I almost got it out of her earlier tonight when she seemed to know a little too much about why you were all missing in action."

"Sorry about that," he said as his thumb gently caressed the side of her forefinger, "I was sure that if I talked to you I'd spoil it. Our show for tonight got canceled last week and I just saw the perfect opportunity to see my girl."

"How did you pull it off?" Buffy asked.

"You mean with your folks?" She nodded. "We exchanged numbers at the hospital just in case something happened after they left that first night and I just called them. They had no problems with it, actually your mom was overjoyed that I'd be here."

Buffy smiled. "They really like you."

He shrugged. "I'm a likeable guy."

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"You didn't tell me your cousin was dating Spike Pratt!" Timmy said as he and Claire sat in the kitchen eating leftover food from earlier in the night.

"He wasn't supposed to be here, I didn't think it was important." Claire said as she stuffed a block of cheese in to her mouth.

"You know Flesh of the Passions is my favorite band." Timmy said.

"Yeah, well, Spike's not that great."

"Are you kidding me?" Timmy asked. "He's like a guitar god! I can't play half the riffs he comes up with, he's amazing."

"Buffy's a bitch."

"She seems nice to me." Timmy said with a shrug.

"God, you don't even know her, Timmy!" Claire practically yelled. "Just shut up."

Timmy watched as his girlfriend walked angrily out of the kitchen and back in to the living room to join her family. He wasn't sure why there was so much hostility between her and Buffy, maybe she was jealous or something, but he was kind of used to it at this point. With a roll of his eyes and a shake of his head he followed behind her. This was going to be a long, long trip.

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"Didn't really pay much attention to your room the last time I was in here, luv." Spike said as he glanced around curiously. "I like it."

Buffy laughed, she hadn't changed it much since she had graduated from high school and planned to keep it that way. Coming home and sleeping in it always felt like a trip down memory lane and, despite a few new pictures of her with Xander and Willow, it would remain the same after this visit, too.

"Not sure how I feel about that poster there, though." Spike said as he pointed at the large painting of Johnny Depp.

"Oh, that was all Dawn's doing." She said with a subtle roll of her eyes. "We went and saw Pirates of the Caribbean a few years ago and she fell head over heels in love with him and just assumed that I had, too. She got me that for my birthday and there was no way it was coming to school with me so here it stays."

Spike laughed. "Sure, likely story."

"What?" Buffy asked. "I'm telling the truth."

"Uh, huh." He said as he practically jumped on to her bed. He had changed in to a pair of black and dark blue flannel pajama pants and lost the shirt a good ten minutes ago, sprawling himself out on her bed when he looked like that should have been illegal. "Gonna leave me to sit here by myself or are you gonna join me?"

Buffy laughed. "I've got to change first."

Spike quickly rolled to the side and stared at her with excitement in his eyes. "Can I watch?"

"No!" She exclaimed.

Spike's brows furrowed. "Why not?"

"That is so awkward." She explained.

"Sexy as hell, it is." He said as he gave her a quick once over. "You're a beautiful woman, Buffy."

"Yeah, well, I don't feel very beautiful with my clothes off right now, alright?" She said as she made her way toward her bedroom door. The moment her hand made contact with the handle, however, his hand was on top of hers effectively stopping her exit.

"Why on Earth would you say that?" He asked in her ear. It was now that she realized just how close behind her he was. She could feel the warmth of his body through her clothing and his breath was coming in steady, warm streams against the back of her neck.

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know, I just don't see myself the way that you do, I guess."

She felt Spike's hand lightly touch the ribs of her good side before it slid its way steadily down to rest on her hip. When he was sure that she wasn't going to make a mad dash out of the room he released her hand from his and quickly moved it to rest in the same spot on the opposite side of her body. "Let me show you what I see, kitten," he whispered against the back of her neck, "let me show you how beautiful you are."

It would be pointless to try and resist him, the fluttering in her stomach make that completely obvious to her, so she didn't put up a single ounce of a fight when he led her from the door and over to the other side of the room to stand in front of her large vanity mirror. "Do you trust me?" He asked.

Buffy nodded.

His hands moved slowly from her hips and glided up to where the high waisted pencil skirt met her shirt. He moved his hands gently around her abdomen, making sure to be very careful where he knew she would have bruising from her accident. Within moments the deep red shirt was released from the confines it had previously found itself in and Spike made quick work of undoing the buttons. As he dropped the garment to the floor and revealed the black lace bra underneath Buffy turned her head to the side in an attempt to avert her own gaze.

"Look." He whispered as his hands nimbly undid the button and zipper at the back of the skirt. Buffy turned back to the mirror just in time to see it drop to the floor, leaving her in nothing but her matching bra and panty set. "Tell me one thing that you don't like. What makes you think that you're not the single most breathtaking creature on this entire bloody planet?"

Buffy's eyes moved instinctually to the large bruise marring her otherwise flawless flesh. It was about the size of a football and reached from just above her hip bone almost to her underarm. The colors ranged from dark brown in some spots to a deep blue in others. "That bruise first of all."

"This?" Spike asked as his hands moved to trace the outline of the offending feature. "Buffy, this thing is temporary. It will be gone in a few weeks and then it won't matter anymore."

"It matters now." She said defensively.

Spike sighed. "Buffy, this bruise, this thing, it shows how strong of a person you are. You were in a terrible accident and managed to walk away with nothing but a few minor bumps and bruises. You have the courage and willpower that most people can only dream of and I admire you for it each and every day."

Buffy shook her head as she turned away from the mirror to face him. "I'm not that special."

"Buffy," Spike said in barely a whisper, "when are you going to realize that you are?"

With no warning whatsoever he grabbed her just below her buttocks and lifted her off of the ground. She instinctually wrapped her legs around his waist as he walked them with meaningful steps over to the closest wall. Pinned against his body and the wall she had no choice but to enjoy it as his lips made their way down her neck, stopping momentarily to suck and nibble on the sensitive spot that he knew drove her crazy.

"Spike," she gasped as he continued his assault on her neck, "we can't do this."

He lifted his head and blue eyes instantly met green, boring a hole in them with the fiery passion she saw there. "Why not?"

"My grandparents are next door, my parents are right down the hall. Dawn's across the way with Claire and her boyfriend and Aunt Karen and Uncle Mike are on air mattresses in the living room. Someone will definitely here us." She explained quickly.

Spike's tongue touched the tip of his two front teeth as his lips curled in to the sexiest smirk Buffy had ever seen. "I can be quiet if you can."

He pulled her away from the wall and dropped her down on the edge of her bed before settling on his knees beside it. He practically ripped the tiny piece of fabric off of her lower body and Buffy gripped her comforter in anticipation of what she knew was coming next. When his tongue slowly slid against her, however, she could hardly muffle the moans of pleasure that were begging to be emitted from her body.

With a knowing smile on his face Spike gripped behind her knees and pulled her closer to him. He had fun torturing his girl with his ministrations and would fluctuate his speed and how much pressure he applied at random. Slowly and steadily he inserted a single finger in to her sex and went to work pumping it in and out of her trembling body until she found her first release of the night with a stifled groan. He smiled up at her as she aftershocks of her orgasm slowly drifted away and was more than a little surprised when she moved toward him with one swift movement and quickly knocked him on to his back in the middle of her floor.

She kissed a trail from the waist of his pajama pants up to his abdomen and chest until she finally met his ear. "Take your pants off." She whispered as she took his earlobe between her teeth and bit at it playfully.

Spike didn't need to be told twice and less than a second later the article of clothing that was keeping him from having her was thrown clear across the room. She moved down his body again but a hand under her chin stopped her in her tracks. She looked up to see him shake his head as his lust filled eyes stared down at her. "I need you now." He said in a breathy whisper.

Without a moments hesitation Buffy straddled him between her legs and slowly pushed down on his member, letting it fill her to the breaking point. His hands found her waist as he guided her movements up and down as he buried himself as deep inside of her as he could. Buffy was beautiful any time his eyes happened to come across her form but when she was in the throes of ecstasy with her head thrown back and hair cascading down her shoulders and lightly grazing the tops of her breasts she was truly a work of art.

Spike felt the familiar build up in his loins and knew that he was getting close. Determined to make sure that she reached at least one more finish his hand moved between them to fondle her clit with skilled fingers bringing her to the breaking point almost instantly. He followed close behind and let his seed fill her as he met his release. She rolled off of him and hit the floor with a solid thud.

"Shit." She whispered as her head instantly turned toward the door to her room. "Do you think anyone heard that?"

Spike shrugged as he threw an arm around his girl and pulled her back over to him. "We'll just blame it on Claire."

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Buffy awoke the next morning with Spike's arm slung haphazardly over her waist. She turned and looked at his sleeping face, he looked so sweet and innocent when he was unconscious. She moved her hand to gently run across his exposed cheek, not the least bit surprised when the lightest sleeper in the world grabbed her hand in his and brought it to his lips for a quick kiss.

"Morning." He muttered, eyes still closed and voice sounding just as groggy as she had remembered it.

"Good morning." She said with an unnoticed smile. "How did you sleep?"

"Better than I have all month." He answered. "How about you, luv?"

"Great," she said honestly, "someone must have really tired me out."

Spike's lips pursed as a cocky grin appeared on his face. "Fucking right."

Buffy laughed as he placed another kiss on the back of the hand still entwined with his laying between them. "It's Christmas Eve." Buffy whispered.

Spike nodded. "That it is."

"Doesn't a good girl like me get to open one present a day early?" She asked.

"Depends," Spike said as his hand moved to cup the mound between her legs, "do I get one of mine?" Buffy hit him playfully on the chest as he let out a soft chuckle and removed his hand. "I know, I know, family is crawling all over this sodding place."

"I'm sorry." She said sincerely.

Spike shook his head as he finally cracked his eyes open. "It's fine, luv. Sex is great but that's not all I want you for."

"Well, I'd hope not," she said, "because we'd have quite the problem when you go touring without me."

"Won't have to worry about that for a while now, will we?" He asked. "Told your folks yet?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, but I will."

"Buffy!" Joyce's voice called from down the stairs.

"Yeah?" She called back.

"You and Spike come on down here, Sarah will be here any minute!"

Buffy looked at Spike apologetically. "I'm sorry we can't stay in my bed all day but you have one more part of my family to meet."

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"Sarah!" Joyce said as she pulled the front door open. The two women were hugging within moments in a way that only two sisters could. Sarah was what made Joyce decide that she needed to have two children, she had no idea what she would have done without her sister her entire life and the two were thick as thieves.

Sarah was a normal looking woman with honey blonde hair that was always pin straight to contrast with Joyce's permed look. Her face was identical to Joyce's and the two were often mistaken for twins even though she was a few years older. Sarah lived in Boston with her husband and son and rarely made it out to Sunnydale to visit with her sister and her family, but the two talked on the phone every day.

"I've missed you so much!" Sarah said as she rocked Joyce back and forth in her arms. "We didn't miss anything good did we?"

"Well, Buffy's boyfriend showed up last night and Claire was not happy at all about that." Joyce explained.

"She's a little bitch," Sarah said seriously, "I don't know why you let her and Karen stay here all the time when you know how much drama they cause."

"They're family." Joyce said with a shrug.

"So where are they?" Sarah asked.

"Who now?"

"Buffy and her boyfriend, are they still here?" Sarah asked.

"We're right here." Buffy said as she and Spike descended the stairs as quickly as they could. When she reached the bottom she wasn't surprised when her aunt grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her to her for a fierce hug.

"Look at you," Sarah said, "all grown up and everything!"

Buffy laughed. "I know, crazy isn't it?"

"Buffy!" A loud, high pitched voice called as the five year old that could be none other than Ethan ran in to the house and grabbed Buffy around the knees.

"Hey, Ethan!" Buffy said happily as she pat the child on the head. When he released her legs Buffy took no time in leaning down and taking the small boy in to her arms. "Have you been a good boy this year?"

Ethan nodded. "Uh, huh. I asked Santa for a Playstation 3!"

Buffy laughed. "Awesome! I hope you get it!" Neither Buffy nor Spike missed Sarah's dramatic nod behind her son's back and Spike couldn't help but laugh. Buffy's eyes shot over to his as she walked towards him with Ethan still in her arms. "There's someone I want you to meet, okay, E?"

"Okay." He said as his eyes rested on the tall blonde man still standing on the stairs.

"Hi there." He said with a smile. "My names Spike, what's yours?"

"Ethan." He answered as he slowly looked Spike up and down. "Your hair's funny."

Everyone in the room laughed as Spike nodded. "Yeah, I suppose it is."

"Do you like Power Rangers?" Ethan asked.

Spike chuckled. "Love them."

"I have these really cool pajamas Mommy and Daddy gave me for Christmas Eve, wanna see?" He asked excitedly.

"E, honey," Sarah said, "why don't you wait until tonight to show him?"

Ethan nodded. "Okay."

Spike laughed as he turned his gaze over to Sarah. "He's quite the charmer."

Sarah nodded. "That he is, I'm Sarah." She said as she extended her hand towards him.

"Spike." He said while shaking her hand.

"Well, Spike, be a babe and go help my husband bring our bags inside." Sarah said with a smile.

Spike nodded and immediately made his way through the front door knowing that the eyes of the three women were following him the entire time. He already liked this Sarah woman and he could tell why she was Buffy's favorite relative. Hank's side of the family was very cut and dry, almost stuck up, but Sarah seemed like a real person and that somewhat of a rarity nowadays.

"He is a looker, Buffy." Sarah said as she watched him walk away. "You go girl."

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"What do you want, like peanut butter and jelly or something?" Buffy asked as she gathered the supplies to make a snack for her and Spike.

"Creamy or crunchy?" Spike asked seriously.

Buffy looked at the container. "Creamy."

"Fuck that."

"I can just add some peanuts to it." She offered.

"Sold."

Buffy laughed. "Would you like the crust cut off as well?"

"Crust is vile."

Buffy shook her head as she tore the pack of peanuts open. "You're as bad as Ethan and he's only five."

"Better get used to it," Spike said as he flicked a stray peanut across the counter, "if you're gonna go on tour with us you're gonna see a lot of strange and picky eating patterns."

"What do you mean go on tour?" Hank asked as he entered the kitchen with Joyce following close behind.

Buffy glanced nervously over at Spike who stared over at her with wide eyes, it was now or never and this was not the way that she wanted to break the news. "Well, Dad, um..."

"Spit it out, Buffy."

"After the holidays I'm going to pack up some things and go around the country with Spike's band until school starts back up in February." Buffy explained.

Hank nodded as he and his wife made their way over to the kitchen table. Both took a seat before Hank glanced back over at Buffy. "Sit."

Without question both Buffy and Spike walked over to join them at the table. They sat on the side opposite from Hank and Joyce and everyone just sat there looking back and forth at one another for a moment waiting for someone to begin the conversation.

"What about your job?" Hank asked. "Don't you usually go back to LA and work at that bar on the weekends when school's out?"

"Usually," Buffy said, "but I've talked to Clem and he said that he would hire a temp to replace me until I get back."

"What if this temp does a good job and he decides not to take you back?" Joyce asked.

"Clem wouldn't do that." Spike spoke up. "I've known him since I we were kids and he wouldn't go back on his word like that. If the temp does well then he'd add her on as a permanent waitress but she wouldn't replace Buffy."

"What are you going to do about money?" Hank asked. "You'd come back with absolutely nothing saved up for school. Didn't you break up with Angel because he wanted to blow off school and travel?"

"This is different."

"It doesn't seem too different to me." Hank said crossing his arms over his chest. "Listen, Buffy, I understand that you're young and holding a job doesn't seem very important to you. Hell, I'd love to up and leave and travel all over the country but you have responsibilities."

"I know," Buffy said, "and I also know that I can take care of them and still do this."

Hank shook his head. "I don't know about this, no job means no money and it's incredibly important that you keep saving up. Leaving your job for a month just isn't a smart move."

"Buffy would have a job, sir." Spike said. Every pair of eyes around the table turned to look at him and all were asking for an explanation, especially Buffy's. "She'll be working the band's merch table at our shows, what Anya would pay her plus tips would actually be more than what she makes at The Shadow Gallery."

A smile appeared on Buffy's face as she took in what he was saying. Ever since she had overheard the conversation he had been having with Anya the day after the accident she had wanted to figure out some way to earn her keep while she was traveling with them, she was no moocher and this merch table thing seemed like just the thing she was looking for.

Hank looked over at Joyce in a way that made it obvious that he wanted her input on the entire situation. "Well, as long as she has a job and can save up some money for next semester I don't see a problem with it." Joyce said as she took another sip of her coffee. "Honestly, dear, I saw this coming a million miles away. I don't know why you seem so surprised about it."

Buffy and Spike both looked at Hank expectantly as he seemingly mused something over in his mind. "Dad," Buffy said quietly, "ever since I turned eighteen you've been telling me that I'm an adult, that I need to be responsible and learn to take care of myself and make my own decisions."

"Right." Hank agreed.

"Well then let me make this one, let me show you that I can make my own choices and live with them. Honestly, I'm going regardless of what you say, but having your blessing on it would make it a lot easier on everyone." Buffy explained. "Please, Daddy?"

Hank glanced back and forth between the two of them a few times before finally fixing his eyes on Spike's. "If anything happens to her," he said as he pointed a finger at his face, "it's your ass."

Spike let out a relieved laugh as Buffy moved to the other side of the table to grab both of her parents in a tight hug.

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"I look like a whale." Dawn whined as she looked at herself in Buffy's vanity mirror.

"Dawn, you do not." Buffy said as she continued to get herself ready for the big family Christmas Eve dinner. Another tradition was to go to the most expensive restaurant in town, a completely formal affair, and eat almost everything on the small menu. It had been fun when Buffy was younger, but now that she had to pay for an equal share of it like everyone else it was bordering on the irritating.

"Why did I pick this dress? All it does is show off my blubber." Dawn said as she grabbed at some miniscule amount of fat that wasn't really there.

"We are the same size, if you're fat then I'm fat." Buffy said as she put the finishing touches on her makeup.

"You're so not fat, but I am. Dawn the blubber back. Watch out, wide load here." Dawn continued to insult herself as she stomped around Buffy's room making ridiculous crashing noises.

"Dawn!" Buffy yelled as she shot up from her vanity, moved over to the closet, and swung the doors open. "Jesus Christ! Pick another dress, anything you want!"

Dawn smiled happily as she ran over to the closet and began to shift through all of Buffy's dresses. She found one almost immediately and quickly moved to change out of her other one. When Buffy turned around to see what her spaz of a sibling had picked out she was astonished to see that it was the exact same dress that she had just looked 'so fat' in. Poor Dawn, Buffy thought, she had no idea that they had identical dresses.

Buffy pulled her own dress on and called Dawn over to zip it up for her. It was a simple, classy black satin sleeveless number that showed off the necklace Spike had given her perfectly, not to mention it made her boobs look phenomenal. She had decided to pair it with a pair of dark blue heels to give the look a little spark and her makeup reflected the color perfectly. She had pulled her hair away from her face with a clip decorated with small faux diamonds while letting the rest of it cascade down her back in gentle waves.

Oh yeah, she thought, Spike was going to love this.

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**I hope everyone enjoys this, I won't have another chance to write until Tuesday but I needed to beat my record of two consecutive update days or I'd be upset. **

**Reviews?**


	19. Chapter 19

**My "J" key on my keyboard decided it wanted to jump ship and my keyboard is now missing a key cap so if I miss a "J" here and there just know that that's why. I have to push down real hard on this stupid little circle to make one appear and when I get going, there is just no stopping my typing. :) **

**This chapter was really difficult to write for some reason so I'm sorry if it's not up to the level of the previous chapters. Every story has to have a weak point, right?**

**Chapter 19.**

Spike sat in the living room of the Summers home waiting patiently for the return of his girlfriend with the other males taking temporary residence in the house. Sarah's husband, Dave, was a pretty decent guy. He and the rest of the family seemed to be pretty close and he was the only one who had managed to elicit a true guttural laugh from the usually serious as the grave Hank as he talked animatedly about anything that popped in to his head. Spike hadn't had a true family holiday since before his father passed away and spending the 'happiest time of the year' with Buffy and her kin showed him just what he had been missing out on for almost his entire life.

"Buff, Dawn," Joyce yelled up the stairs as she emerged from the kitchen with Sarah close behind, "are you two almost ready?"

"Coming!" Buffy's unmistakeable voice answered.

Spike smiled to himself, she was going to have a fun time trying to get ready on tour while sharing a bus with three other people and the odd Bob conquest. Everyone around the room slowly began to stand and collect their jackets, car keys, and significant others. Spike shot a glance across the room over to where Claire and Timmy stood, the kid cleaned up well. He was wearing a pair of gray dress pants and a white shirt with a black tie. Claire, on the other hand, was dressed up well enough to go to a prom. The bright red dress reached the floor and the heels she was wearing made her tower over her boyfriend. Spike chuckled softly, that was one thing Buffy would never have to worry about.

Spike moved toward the banister to grab his jacket and was surprised when he saw Buffy and Dawn standing at the top of the stairs. He watched for a moment as Buffy fixed a stray piece of Dawn's hair before sticking a bobby pin in it to keep her bangs out of her face. Buffy shared a quick hug with her sister before the pair turned and began to make their way down the stairs. When Buffy saw Spike standing at the bottom, jacket in hand and waiting for her, she couldn't stop the smile that grew across her face. He was wearing a pair of black dress pants and perfectly matching long sleeve black button up shirt. She shook her head as she took in his dark blue tie.

Spike, on the other hand, had to keep his jaw from dropping as he took in the sight of her. Her tanned legs seemed a million miles long as she made her way to him on her impossibly high dark blue heels. The black dress hugged her body perfectly and, as always, his necklace shone in the light from where it rested just above the swell of her breasts.

Her smile turned in to a light smirk as she reached him, standing on the first stair and liking that she was now at his eye level. "We match." She commented.

"Great minds and all that." He responded as he held a hand out to her. She placed her hand in his and blushed slightly as he touched his lips to it in a gentle kiss. It always amazed her how he could make a single move that she should have seen as sweet and gentlemanly seem so intimate and sexy, it was definitely one of those things that only he could do. "You are absolutely beautiful, you know that?"

She laughed softly. "I seem to remember you showing me just that last night."

Spike's tongue moved to touch the tip of his two front teeth as he cocked his head to the side as he looked her over with hungry eyes. "You just wait until we get back to LA," he said as he moved closer to whisper in her ear, "I'm gonna make you scream."

Buffy didn't say a word as the tingles ran down her spine, she merely met his eyes in silent defiance as she tried her hardest to hide the effect he was having on her. "Grab me my jacket?"

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Spike followed behind the rest of Buffy's family happily holding Buffy's hand. Each subgroup of the Summers clan had driven their own cars, there was no way to get thirteen people in a car and not get arrested, and Spike was completely fine with the little bit of alone time he was getting with his girl. The drive was a good twenty five minutes and when they finally arrived they both felt completely starved. They were given a private room in the small Italian restaurant and when Spike looked at the prices on the menu he knew that there was a reason why Buffy and her family only came here once a year.

"Fifteen bucks for calamari?" He asked quietly.

Buffy nodded. "I know, it's crazy. I'll probably just get a salad or something small and then make real food at my house later."

"Buff," he said as he glanced around the table, "get whatever you want. I'll handle the bill."

Buffy shook her head. "No, it's fine."

"All of our meals are paid for by the record company on tour," he said quietly, "just let me be the boyfriend tonight."

Within moments the waitress appeared to take their order. Most of the family ordered two or three different things, but Buffy had stuck to her guns and ordered nothing but a chicken Caesar salad. Spike had given her a sideways look as he ordered his chicken Alfredo but she just smiled back at him like a little kid that had gotten her way.

"Don't act like you've won some big battle," Spike said quietly as the waitress took her leave, "I'm stuffing you full of breadsticks and you're splitting that Alfredo with me."

"Are you trying to get me fat?" Buffy asked.

"No," Spike answered, "but if you don't eat more than that stupid salad then there won't be anything left in Ethan's stocking by morning."

Buffy laughed as she leaned a little further toward him and planted a quick kiss against his lips. The small public display of affection almost went unnoticed, but Karen had just so happened to look across the table at them at the exact moment that their lips had met.

"So Spike," Karen said loudly enough to get the attention of the entire table, "how was your tour?"

Spike knew this was a trap, this woman was pure evil and for some reason couldn't stand anyone around her being the least bit happy. "It was great," he answered politely, "we went to a lot of places we haven't been before and met a lot of great people."

"Oh, well that sounds like fun." Grandmother Summers said with a sweet smile in his direction.

"Is the tour over?" Sarah asked.

Spike shook his head. "No, the first leg is done but we've still got another few weeks to go."

"Going anywhere good?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah," he said with a nod, "We've got a few days in Vegas, Baltimore, and Florida coming up along with a bunch of one day stops here and there."

"When do you leave again?" Karen asked.

Spike took a long sip of his coke before answering. "January third."

"You're away longer than you're here," Karen said with a laugh, "doesn't the distance bother you guys?"

"Actually, Buffy's coming with me." Spike said quickly.

Spike watched as the woman's eyes widened in shock as Claire's jaw dropped. Sarah's face lit up in a happy way and her husband mirrored that reaction. Buffy's grandmother continued to smile sweetly and her grandfather was completely oblivious to everything except for the breadstick he was currently trying to conquer. Dawn was trying not to laugh at the more ridiculous reactions across the table from her and Joyce and Hank didn't seemed the least bit phased by their announcement.

Spike felt a light tug on his shirt and looked over to see Ethan trying to get his attention. "Go where?"

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Dinner had gone on pretty smoothly after Spike and Buffy let the cat out of the bag. Sarah had been incredibly excited for her and had asked her about a million different questions about their plans. Dawn made conversation with Timmy while Claire ate her food without saying a word as she continued to sulk over something that had nothing to do with her. Buffy had no idea what her problem was, but it was times like these that made her happy that they only saw them on special occasions.

Buffy glanced over at Spike and couldn't help but smile. Ethan had been talking his ear off for the better part of an hour now about anything that crossed the little boy's mind. Spike nodded along and contributed to the conversation whenever he could get a word in and Buffy could tell that the two were happy as clams talking about Power Rangers.

"I like the uh, the um white ranger." Ethan said as he shoved a fork full of spaghetti in to his mouth.

"Yeah?" Spike asked.

Ethan nodded. "Yeah, his name is Tommy."

"Tommy," Spike said in a thoughtful way, "wasn't he the black ranger?"

"Yeah, but he, he was the white ranger first."

"Oh, that's right." Spike said with an almost dramatic nod.

"Yeah, and he is a good fighter." Ethan said.

"They're all good fighters." Spike laughed as he turned back to Buffy. He reached out and let his hand rest gently on her knee before giving it a quick squeeze. "You alright, luv?" He asked.

Buffy smiled as she nodded. "Never been better."

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Dinner had ended without any additional drama or carnage and Buffy was glad to have it in the past. Ethan had taken quite the liking to Spike and had spent the last five minutes begging for his mother and father to let him ride home with Spike and Buffy. She had refused of course, it was obvious that he was going to pass out the second his head hit the back of the car seat, but Spike had promised to sit next to the small boy at breakfast the next day.

They pulled out of the restaurant's parking lot in the same order they had arrived in. Hank and Joyce led the family followed by the car that held Sarah, Dave, and Ethan. Karen and Claire were next and Buffy's grandparents were in the car behind them. Spike was last in the line and wasn't the least bit surprised when he got stuck behind a red light. As he watched the rest of her family drive on he just happened to glance at Buffy's legs from the corner of his eye. Christ, she was perfect.

With an evil glint in his eye Spike reached his hand across the small divider between them and gently grabbed her around the knee. Buffy looked over at him in confusion for a moment, but as his hand began to steadily rise upward she realized exactly what he had planned to do. "Spike, we can't-"

"Shhh," he said quietly as his hand continued to rise, "I know we can't do this back at the house with your family all over," his hand met her womanhood with a purpose, "but if I can't have you in that little black dress I'm gonna go crazy." Buffy's eyes fluttered closed as he began to stroke her through the thin lace panties she had worn beneath her dress. He smirked as he saw the reaction he was already having on her before pushing the small piece of fabric to the side and rubbing her clit with his talented fingers. She tilted her head back against the seat behind her as a soft moan of pleasure left her lips. "Just sit back and enjoy it."

Buffy's legs spread on their own accord as he continued his ministrations. He tried his hardest to keep his eyes on the road, but the sight of his girl writhing in pleasure next to him was definitely stealing his attention. Her hips were bucking against his hand and he did a good job of keeping his distance from other motorists on the almost vacant road. He inserted a finger in to her sex while his thumb continued to pluck playfully on the sensitive nub hidden in her folds. Her moans were getting louder and more frequent as she neared her release and it proved to be too much for Spike to bare.

Without a single turn signal he flew in to the nearest empty parking lot and quickly moved the car to the back of the building. He threw the car in to park and pulled her on top of him in one swift motion. Deciding that he didn't have the time nor patience to deal with her tiny pair of underthings he grabbed the pocket knife he always had in the center console and quickly cut them off of her before undoing his belt and zipper. He pulled his pants down just enough to get them out of the way before plunging in to her with a loud moan. The two moved quickly against each other as one of his arms circled tightly around her waist. He kissed her passionately on the mouth as he continued to slam in to her. Her hands found the back of his seat as she gripped the top of it in pleasure.

"Spike." She practically cried.

"Christ." He moaned. "So good, Buffy, so sodding good."

Buffy met her release first and Spike followed close behind. They sat together for a few moments, Buffy straddling his lap and his manhood still buried deep within her as the vibrations they felt throughout their skin slowly started to wither away. They each took heavy, labored breaths as their foreheads rested together. She opened her eyes slightly and wasn't surprised when she found him gazing at her with a look she hadn't seen there before.

This was perfect.

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_Are the stars out tonight?  
I don't know if it's cloudy or bright,  
'Cause I only have eyes for you, dear._

Buffy opened her eyes slowly as her mind began to register his voice singing softly in her ear. It wasn't his usual edgy voice she was hearing, but a soft whisper in her ear.

_The moon may be high,  
But I can't see a thing in the sky,  
'Cause I only have eyes for you.  
I don't know if we're in a garden,  
Or on a crowded avenue._

Buffy turned slowly in an attempt to find him and she was a little surprised when she realized that he wasn't in the bed with her. Her eyes shot open and quickly searched out his form. He sat at the edge of the bed looking down at her with a look of pure adoration strewn across his face. As her eyes met his she saw the ghost of a smile lining his lips as he continued to sing the song just for her.

_You are here, so am I.  
Maybe millions of people go by,_

_But they all disappear from view._

He leaned over her and rested his forehead gently against hers.

_And I only have eyes for you._

As if to punctuate the last verse of his song, his lips met hers in a tender kiss. When he pulled away he kept his forehead against her's as he gazed down at her with bright blue eyes. "Morning, luv."

Buffy smiled as she reached up to find his lips a second time. "Good morning."

"How did you sleep?" He asked softly.

"Fine." She answered. "It's Christmas!" She said almost as an afterthought.

Spike couldn't help but chuckle. "Yes it is, and Christmas means presents."

Spike pulled away from her suddenly and reached under the bed. When he sat back up he was holding two different boxes covered in his signature black wrapping paper with a bright red ribbon. Buffy smiled as she sat up in her bed and threw her hair up in to a messy ponytail.

"We usually do this downstairs with the entire family." She explained.

"I know," he said, "but I was hoping that we could do ours alone."

Buffy nodded with an excited smile on her face as Spike handed her the larger of the two boxes. She quickly tore away the wrapping and pulled the lid off of the plain cardboard box she found underneath. "Oh, my God," she whispered as she took in the leather jacket she found inside, "it's gorgeous."

Spike smiled. "Figured you could wear it on tour, might fit the crowd better than your other one."

Buffy pulled the jacket out of the box and quickly moved to her mirror to look it over. When she pulled it on the black leather was soft against her skin and it fit her like a glove. It was decorated with thin leather straps crisscrossing down each side and a few random silver zippers gave it just a bit of the punk flare that really pulled it all together.

"What do you think?" Spike asked from his spot still sitting on the bed.

"I feel like a rock star." She answered almost seriously.

Spike chuckled. "Well you look like one, even with the pajama pants."

Buffy turned around and practically tackled him back on to the bed as she littered his face with tiny kisses. "I love it, thank you so much."

Spike smiled as he began to sit up. "Still got something else for you."

"There's more?" She asked.

"'Course there's more." He said as he grabbed the tiny box from where it sat on the bed. He handed it to her and she opened it with just as much excitement as the first. She instantly recognized it to be a ring box and her heart raced as she moved to open it. The small ring inside had a pattern that she had seen multiple times before with two hands holding a small heart with a crown resting on top of it. "It's a Claddagh ring."

Buffy nodded. "I've seen them before but I never knew what they were."

"They started out in Ireland in a place right outside of Galway," he explained, "each one of the symbols it had on it means something. The heart is pretty self explanatory, the hands are for friendship, and the crown means loyalty." Buffy nodded as she listened to him explain the ring. "When it's worn this way," he said as he turned the ring so that the tip of the heart pointed toward her fingertips, "it means that the wearer doesn't have any kind of... romantic ties to anyone."

"So they're single." Buffy stated.

Spike nodded. "When it's turned this way," he said as he turned the ring in the opposite direction and slid it on to her finger, "it means the exact opposite. I know that a lot of people can't seem to grasp the fact that this, that we have is serious, but I think that this may get them to put a sock in it for a little while."

"I love it." She said as she took in the sight of it on her finger.

"I have one, too." He said quietly.

Buffy smiled as she turned her head to look at him. "Do you?"

Spike nodded with a light chuckle as he raised his hand. His ring, a slightly larger and thicker version of the one she was wearing, was already firmly in place on his right ring finger. "Thought it looked cool and didn't want to be tempted to take yours."

Buffy smiled as she looked down at the ring on her own finger. "My gift is going to suck compared to this."

"Bollocks." He said dismissively as he watched her stand and move over to her closet. She pulled a large box out from behind her clothes and proceeded to carry it over to the bed. Spike picked up the large, and pretty heavy, box and sat it on his lap as Buffy took a seat next to him. She looked pretty nervous as his hands found the edge of the wrapping paper and began to open it. He popped the top of the box off and Buffy watched as his eyes grew wide as he took in the pure white guitar that now sat on his lap.

"I don't know much about guitars," Buffy said quietly, "but I thought maybe the white would look cool against all the black you guys wear." Spike nodded silently as he picked the guitar out of it's box and laid it across his lap to get a feel for it. "It's a-"

"Fender Strat." He finished for her, the look of awe still strewn across his face as he ogled is new toy. "Must have cost you a pretty penny, luv."

Buffy nodded as he began to play a couple of chords on it. "If you don't like it you can always just-"

"Emily." He said suddenly. Buffy cocked her head to the side as she tried to make sense of the random name he had just said. He turned his head slowly to look at her. "I love her, and I'm gonna call her Emily."

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"Hold it up, Ethan, let everyone see what you got." Sarah said as she watched her son rip through another one of his presents. So far he had been completely spoiled by the rest of the family and knew that the few presents left under the tree for him would be no exception to that rule.

"It's a train set!" He yelled excitedly.

"And who gave it to you?" Dave asked as a sort of hidden reminder for Ethan to use his manners.

"Thanks Gramma and Grampa!" Ethan yelled as he ran up to the elderly couple and threw his arms around each one. Cameras flashed all over the room before Ethan turned and ran back up to the tree. Seeing his eyes light up every time he opened up a present was magical and nothing in the world could match the preciousness of the happy glint in his eyes. Everyone had gotten up much earlier than they had intended to due to the little boy's excitement but not one person in the world would be upset about that.

Buffy and Spike sat hand in hand next to one another on the large leather couch. They had gotten in shortly after the rest of the family the night before but no one seemed to question what had taken them a bit longer than usual. Buffy looked as cute as ever with her hair pulled up in a ponytail and dressed in a simple pair of light jeans and a random gray hoodie she had found in her closet while Spike had worn a dark pair of blue jeans and white Sex Pistols shirt.

"Isn't he cute?" Buffy asked him quietly.

Spike nodded. "He is."

Buffy smiled. "I love little kids on Christmas morning, even when Dawn was younger watching her would make me so happy."

"This one is from Buffy and Spike." Dave said as he handed Ethan his next present.

Spike instantly looked over at Buffy. "I put your name on the card when you got here," she explained, "I didn't want you to feel bad."

Spike nodded before turning his attention back to Ethan. She was right, he would have felt bad about not giving the kid a present but getting credit for something that he had no part in didn't sit well with him either. When Ethan unwrapped the present he couldn't help but move a little closer to see what 'they' had gotten him.

"A crayon maker!" Ethan yelled as he jumped up and down. "I saw this on the TV! Mom, I saw this on the TV!"

"I know sweetheart, now go say thank you." Sarah said with a smile.

Ethan ran over to Buffy and Spike and took no time in leaping on to Spike's lap. He wrapped his tiny arms around the man before moving over and doing the same to Buffy. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" He cheered over and over.

Spike wanted to say something, but the little boy was so happy about his crayon maker than he didn't have the guts to tell him he had no part in it. Instead he gave the kid a pat on the back before he ran back off to play with his new toys.

With Ethan being done with his presents it was now everyone else's turn to exchange gifts. Buffy had gotten her sister a complete makeup set from MAC along with some type of expensive hair straightener. Dawn had gone old school and made her sister a mixed CD and a random statue of a penguin. Her parents had gotten her a new cell phone to replace the beat up Blackberry she had been running around with and she and Dawn had pulled their money together to get their mother a large painting and their father a mini-fridge stocked with his favorite beer.

Spike had been surprised to find out that Dawn had gotten him a lighter in the shape of a cheeseburger and had a laugh when he received a gift certificate to an auto shop in LA to fix up his car from her parents. He had anticipated this and bought them each small presents including a copy of the latest Passions album, signed by the entire band, for Dawn and a bottle of very expensive wine for Joyce and Hank.

After another few minutes of gift swapping, Joyce had a sudden realization. "You two haven't exchanged gifts yet."

Buffy glanced to her boyfriend quickly and he back at her. "Actually, we had our own little gift exchange earlier this morning."

"Well what did you get?" She asked. Everyone else must have been wondering the same thing because everyone was looking over at them with curiosity written clearly on their faces. Buffy had anticipated this happening and both of them had already brought their gifts downstairs with them. She pulled the jacket off of the back of the couch and held it up for her family to see. "Buffy, it's beautiful!" Joyce exclaimed.

Buffy nodded. "It fits me perfectly."

"Well, don't just sit there and tell us about it," Sarah said from across the room, "put it on! Give us a show!"

Buffy laughed as she pulled her hoodie over her head and handed it over to Spike. She pulled the leather jacket over the white tank top she had been wearing underneath and Spike couldn't help but grin. The jacket did look damn good on her and he could just see her wearing it while they toured. He imagined them walking through the crowd, her on his arm, with all eyes in the venue on them. January third couldn't come soon enough.

"Awesome!" Sarah said giving her a thumbs up as she gave her tiny crowd a twirl. Buffy smiled as she removed the jacket and replaced it with her hoodie. "And I see matching rings." Buffy laughed happily as she lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers to show it off. "What did you get him?"

Without skipping a beat Spike pulled the guitar out from behind the couch and held it across his lap proudly. "I'm calling her Emily."

Karen rolled her eyes. "What romantic gifts. A jacket and a guitar."

Everyone seemed to ignore Karen's little comment, everyone except for Sarah. "Do you always have to be such a bitch?" She asked angrily.

Karen's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"I know you heard me." Sarah said as she stood from her spot on the fold out chair. Dave tried to pull her back towards him, but she was having none of it.

"How dare you talk to me like that." Karen said as she got to her own feet.

"How dare you treat my niece the way that you do." Sarah shot back. "She and her family are nothing but nice to you. They opened their home up to you and all you do is insult Buffy and her boyfriend. There is absolutely no reason for it."

"Aunt Sarah-"

"No Buffy," Sarah said pointing a finger at her, "someone needs to put her in her place." She turned her attention back to Karen. "I don't know if it's because you're jealous or what but it's completely ridiculous and pathetic."

"What's ridiculous is you acting this way in front of your son and my family." Karen said as she folded her arms across her chest.

"My son is upstairs playing with his toys," Sarah shot back, "and I know that your family is sick and tired of it as well."

Karen looked around the room for form of support from her family, but the only one who even looked in her direction was her own daughter. "Uncle Hank," Claire shrieked, "are you really going to let her talk to my mom like that?"

"Yeah." Hank said standing up next to his wife's sister. "You have no respect for my daughter and frankly I'm tired of it."

"Well, fine," Karen said with obvious anger, "we'll just leave then."

"There's the door."

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Everyone watched in silent relief as Karen and Claire threw their belongings in to the trunk of their car. Nobody would say it but they were all thinking the exact same thing.

Poor Timmy.

**Sorry for the somewhat lame update but now I get to write the parts that I'm actually excited about. **

**Next chapter: Back to LA!**

**Reviews?**


	20. Chapter 20

**For some reason my computer wants to correct anything that starts with the letters "br" to "breadstick" so if there are any random food occurrences in the chapter I deeply apologize, but please enjoy the laughter it creates. I know I did while reading this over.**

"**The view was absolutely breadstick"...**

**Thanks laptop.**

**There is going to be a ton of stuff happening here. I was tempted to stop it at my normal 11 page length but I decided to go with my gut and give you guys a long chapter. Fasten your seat belts, my dear children, it's going to be a wild ride!**

**Chapter 20.**

"Home, sweet home." Spike said as he opened the front door to his apartment. He walked inside, multiple bags and suitcases hanging from his arms, as Buffy struggled with her suitcase a few paces behind. When he noticed her epic battle through the hallway he dropped his bags and moved to help her and was surprised when he realized just how heavy her bag was. "Christ, Buff, this thing weighs more than you do."

"Us Summers women really know how to pack." She said as she followed him in to the apartment.

"No doubt about that." He said while dragging her bag across the floor and in to his room. "You mind living out of a suitcase until we leave or do you want to do all that unpacking shit?"

"I think I can manage for a few days." She said as she closed the door behind her.

"You hungry?" Spike asked as he made his way in to the kitchen.

"Starving, actually." Buffy admitted.

Spike opened up his refrigerator to see nothing but an old jug of apple juice and a few boxes of take out that were definitely past their prime. "Nothing in the fridge," he called over the island, "wanna go grocery shopping?"

"Only if we stop for cheeseburgers first." She answered quickly.

Spike chuckled softly as he ran a hand through his platinum hair. "That's my girl."

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"Grab some granola bars." Buffy said as she followed behind Spike pushing the large shopping cart they were using to collect whatever food they wanted.

"Granola bars?" He asked.

Buffy nodded. "The ones with the cranberries in them are awesome."

Spike chuckled as he tossed the granola bars in to the cart. They would only be at the apartment for a couple days but they were getting enough food to feed a small army. He knew he was buying far too much, but he didn't care. He was having the best time just roaming through the isles with his girl and nothing was going to bring him down. Things like this gave him the feeling of normalcy that his life desperately craved and he could just kiss her for it.

"What about lunch meat and all that jazz?" He asked.

"I worked in a deli when I was eighteen," she said, "I haven't been able to eat lunch met since."

"It can't be that bad."

"You'd be surprised." She said with a slight shudder.

Spike laughed. "Right then, no deli's for you."

They continued down the isles laughing together over almost anything and throwing whatever caught their eyes in to the seemingly bottomless shopping cart. The last thing they expected to see was Harmony Kendall. The moment she saw her Buffy turned and pushed the cart, and Spike, backwards in to the isle they had just been down.

"What's all this?" Spike asked as he was practically slammed in to the shelf housing a million types of peanut butter.

"Harmony," Buffy whispered, "she's in the next isle over."

Spike stepped around his girlfriend and made his way to peer around the corner. Sure enough Boobjob McGee was standing in the middle of the isle staring intently at the rows of shampoo that lined the last isle of the large store. He turned around and walked back over to Buffy. "Do you trust me?"

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Buffy asked with a furrowed brow.

Spike smirked as he quickly glanced over to where Harmony would be standing on the other side of the shelf. "I think it's time we have a little fun at little old Harmony's expense."

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Harmony stood in the middle of the isle trying to decide between Suave or Herbal Essences shampoo. They both seemed exactly the same but there had to be some reason why the latter was more expensive, right? As she pondered her decision she heard the sound of footsteps coming toward her. Typically she would have just ignored them but when she saw the bleached blonde hair out of the corner of her eye she turned in an instant.

"Spike Pratt?" She asked as she peered over at him.

He glanced over at her. "Hey Harmony." He said quickly before turning back to the shelf.

Curiosity got the better of her and she couldn't help but try and figure out what he was trying to find. When she noticed that he was standing in front of the pregnancy tests, however, her jaw dropped in surprise. Spike had been watching her out of the corner of his eye and when he saw her reaction he had to use all of his willpower to stay in character and not laugh out loud.

He pulled two boxes off of the shelf and turned back to the shocked blonde next to him. "What do you think? Do I splurge and get the 'Pregnant' and 'Not Pregnant' test or just stick with the classic blue and red?"

"Is... is that for-"

"Buffy, yeah." He said never taking his eyes off of the two boxes.

"You think Buffy is pregnant?" Harmony asked in shock.

"Well, yeah," Spike said as he finally met her eyes, "we've been married for a few weeks now and have been shagging like rabbits. It's only natural, yeah?"

"Married?" Harmony screeched.

Spike smiled as he raised his left hand which held the Claddagh ring he had gone ahead and turned backwards. "Yeah, tied the knot on the thirteenth and couldn't be happier." He looked back at the boxes and quickly made his fake decision. "Colors. Thanks for the help, Harm, I'll let Buffy know you said hello."

"But I-"

"See you around."

With that Spike left the isle and the completely bewildered Harmony behind and went back to his dream girl. That should teach her to stick her nose where it doesn't belong.

000000000000

"And she just stood there?" Willow asked through her laughter.

Spike nodded. "She was completely in shock. Don't know if it was over the entire marriage thing or the baby, but that look was priceless."

"Aren't you worried she's going to leak it to the press?" Xander asked.

Spike shrugged. "If she does, oh well. It's not like anyone's gonna believe her. You know how many women have claimed that I married them and swear that they are carrying my child?"

"I can remember at least five." Bob said from across the room.

"Anya does such a good job that as soon as we get wind of the rumors they're put to the dirt." Spike explained as he sat his hand on Buffy's jean clad knee.

The night was going great and everyone was having a wonderful time at Xander's place. She hadn't gotten to see or really talk to her friends while she was at home and their reunions were always a fun time. Willow's parents had decided to spend their Hanukkah in Cancun and left Willow with nothing to do. Since Xander didn't have any family other than Clem to speak of he had welcomed her with open arms to stay with him for as long as she liked. When Oz had shown up at his door much the same way that Spike had, Xander pushed back the feelings of jealousy and was simply happy for his friend. Oz had taken her to his apartment and they had spent the last few days doing whatever it was that the two of them did together.

Buffy wasn't going to pry about what had happened between Bob and Faith, God knew she was going to hear all the juicy details about it at work one day anyway, but the two seemed a little more comfortable with each other tonight. Faith was usually the kind of girl who didn't want any kind of PDA, whether it was because it made her feel uncomfortable or a little too girly Buffy wasn't sure, but tonight she actually let Bob put his arm around her and she had caught him give her a quick kiss on the cheek out of the corner of her eye earlier in the night.

Everyone sat around the living room eating the pizza that had become ritualistic for the After Christmas Party they had every year while either talking softly or playing along with whatever random game show was on the television screen. When the doorbell rang everyone had a pretty good idea of who was on the other side of it and they all gave a silent prayer to whoever was listening that the latest arrival wouldn't ruin the good nature of the night.

Xander walked over to the front door of his apartment and opened it quickly before jumping out in to the hallway. Riley looked at him with a bit of confusion decorating his face as he took in Xander's strange body language. "You alright, Xan?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine." Xander said as he pulled the door closed behind him.

Riley chuckled. "Are you going to let me in or are we going to have our own party out in the hallway?"

"Uh, yeah, about that," Xander started nervously, "Buffy's here."

Riley nodded slowly. "I figured she would be."

"Well, she brought a certain guest along with her." Xander explained. "Actually, I invited him but to be honest I didn't really think you were up for coming after the conversation you and Buffy had."

"Buffy and I are fine," Riley said defensively, "we're still friends and I'm pretty sure I can handle her boyfriend for one night."

Xander gave him a sideways look. "Are you sure?" He asked.

Riley sighed. "If me being here is going to be this much trouble I'll just leave."

"No, don't leave," Xander said quickly, "but just don't start anything, okay?"

Riley nodded and Xander promptly opened the door. He half expected everyone in the room to be staring at him but what he got was the complete opposite. The entire room was seemingly fixated on the TV while a game of Jeopardy was glowing across the screen.

"_This zombie butler on 'The Addams Family' often played the harpsichord."_

"Lurch!" The entire room cried in unison. When one of the contestants on the show buzzed in and shared their answer, all six at home participants cheered.

"Riley's here!" Xander yelled as he entered the room.

Almost everyone in the room turned and smiled as they gave some type of greeting, Buffy on the other hand leaned over and whispered in to her boyfriend's ear. "It's just one night. Play nice for one night."

Spike turned his head toward her and gave her his characteristic smirk. "If I'm a good boy do I get a treat?" He asked seductively.

Buffy laughed softly as she leaned in a little bit further. "I'm sure we can work something out." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before retreating back to her own side of the couch. She didn't miss when Spike put an arm possessively over her shoulders but as long as that was as far as his show of dominance went she wasn't going to complain.

"Hey Riley." Buffy said with a sweet smile.

Riley glanced over at her and gave her a quick smile in return. "I see you finally got that cast off."

Buffy smiled as she raised her now plaster-less hand and wiggled her fingers. Spike smirked to himself when he realized that her little move would also give him a perfect view of her new ring. "I'm as good as new."

"You're just in time for presents!" Willow said excitedly as she clicked the TV off. The rest of the room groaned but when they all saw her moving toward the tree to claim the duty of present distributor their outrage quickly dissolved.

"The first one is for Buffy from me and Oz." Willow said as she passed the box she held in her hand over to her best friend.

Buffy took it with a smile and went to work tearing away the cute menorah wrapping paper. When she saw the Chanel box inside she couldn't help the smile that jumped on to her face. She opened the box carefully and looked inside to find a pair of brand new Chanel sunglasses. They were black and the tint was almost as dark as the frames and faded to a dark purple as they went down. They were big enough to cover a lot of her face, but not so large that they were ridiculous.

"Remember when we told you that sunglasses were going to be your new best friend?" Willow asked.

Buffy glanced over at her and nodded. "Yeah, after our first group trip to the hospital."

The entire room laughed softly.

"Well now you've got a new best friend from your old best friend." Willow said with a quick nod.

Buffy laughed as she got up to hug Willow and Oz. "Thank you guys, I love them. They're going to look great with that leather jacket Spike got me."

Willow gave her another smile as she sat back down on the floor and picked up the next present. The exchanges went well and everyone seemed happy with their gifts. Oz loved the caricature of himself as Oz Skywalker and Bob was overjoyed to get an empty hamster cage and a gift certificate to Pets Mart seeing as he had been begging for a bus pet for as long as they could remember. When it came down to Riley's present for Buffy everyone was just a little bit concerned, but when both Buffy and Willow were presented with $50 gift cards to Target the tension in the room disappeared quickly. Buffy had gotten him a blue polo and Spike seemed only mildly irritated when she mentioned that she thought it would be a good color on him. Bob had came in for the kill when he commented that the blue of the shirt almost matched Spike's eyes.

Everything went fine throughout the rest of the night and Buffy considered herself lucky to not be involved in some ridiculous fight over the love triangle she had unwittingly found herself in. Maybe the conversation she had had with Riley at the bar had worked, maybe Spike's punch to Riley's nose was the end of their altercations, and maybe pigs would fly out of Bob's ass.

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Buffy awoke the next morning with nothing beside her but an empty bed. She frowned slightly as she sat up and looked around the vacant room. "Spike?" She called quietly. When there was no response she pulled the covers off of her and slowly stood up from the large bed. She stretched her neck out as she walked out of the room and was surprised by what she saw in the living room.

Spike was sitting on the living room couch, naked from the waist up. with Emily in her rightful place across his lap and in his hands. His back was turned to her but even from behind she could see and hear his strumming away on the chords of his new guitar. He had a pair of large headphones covering his ear and Buffy could see that they were plugged in to the small amp that sat on the floor next to the couch. Just as she was about to make her presence known she heard him softly begin to sing.

_You might lose your faith in science,  
You might lose your faith in wealth.  
You might lose your faith in Jesus,  
Or lose faith in yourself._

But when I let you down,  
Look past your doubt,  
Just please, please,  
Don't lose your faith in me.

Buffy took a few steps closer as she listened intently to a song she had never heard him sing before.__

You could lose your faith in music,  
Or lose your faith in friends.  
You could lose your faith in freedom,  
Feel trapped in your own skin.  
But I'll be right there beside you,  
When the walls are cavin' in.  
I swear, oh, I'm not going anywhere.

But when I let you down,  
Look past your doubt,  
Just please, please,  
Don't lose your faith in me.  
_Please, please,  
Don't lose your faith in me.  
_

Buffy put her hand on Spike's shoulder and he gave a startled jump. He turned around quickly and was obviously a little more than surprised to see her standing behind the couch. He pulled the headphones off of his head and promptly tossed them back on top of the amp.

"Did I scare you?" Buffy asked with a gentle laugh.

"A little bit." He answered as his hands shot out and quickly grabbed her by the arms before pulling her over the back of the sofa.

Buffy laughed gleefully as she tumbled over the piece of furniture and landed softly within his strong arms as he wrapped them snugly around her. "What were you singing?" She asked curiously.

"New song." He answered. "Wrote it a while back when I was touring."

"What's it about?" She asked innocently.

"Oh, nothing really," he said aloofly, "just this pretty little girl that was having a bad time with all the Debbie Downers she was forced to be around."

Buffy smiled as she let her hand find his cheek before leading his face closer to hers. When their lips met he couldn't help but blow a raspberry against her face. Buffy shrieked as she tried to push him away from her but it all proved to be to no avail as he continued to make that ridiculous noise all the way down her neck. "Are you twelve?" She asked through her involuntary laughter at the situation.

"Ten, actually." He said as he repeated his action against her jugular. "And this just so happens to be my favorite thing to do." When Spike's phone went off with the ringtone he used specifically for the record company, Anya, and Giles, he quickly sat up to check what was going on and Buffy saw his brow knit together as he read the text he had just received.

"Is everything alright?" Buffy asked as she sat up next to him.

"Looks like I have an interview at the MTV studios today." He said as he typed in a quick reply.

"Oh." Buffy said with a little bit of disappointment. "Well I could just take a bus over to Xander's and hang out with him for a while."

"Bugger that," he said as he sat his phone back down on the table, "I'll just take you with me."

Buffy's eyes widened as his words reached her ears. "Are you serious?"

Spike shrugged. "Why not? It'll be good for you to see the horrors and torture I've got to go through."

Buffy thought for a moment, she had never been to a TV studio before and had always been curious about the behind the scenes stuff. "Okay," she said, "I'll go."

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"We're here today with Spike Pratt from Flesh of the Passions." The show's host, Allie, said as the camera panned in on Spike's face. Buffy was watching comfortably from the director's chair backstage that had been meant for Spike and was happy as a clam. The studio audience clapped and cheered and Spike gave a slight nod of appreciation. "How are you doing today, Spike?"

"Great, thanks." He answered.

"How was your Christmas?" Allie asked.

"Wonderful," he said, "spent a few days with my girl and her family in Sunnydale."

"Sunnydale," Allie repeated, "that's kind of a random place for someone like you."

Spike chuckled. "She was home and I got off tour a few days early so I decided to surprise her, yeah? Show up at the front door with some flowers, really impress the folks." The audience laughed slightly and Buffy couldn't help but smile. He was so good with interviews, if it was her being put on the spot like that she would come off as a blubbering idiot. Spike glanced over at her from his seat on center stage and gave her a quick wink, it happened so quickly that Buffy hadn't even noticed the camera zoom in for a close up of it.

"Now that was cute!" Allie said as she clapped her hands together. "For those of you that don't know Spike's girlfriend is actually sitting backstage right now." Buffy was surprised when the crowd began to clap for her and even more surprised by what happened next. "Why don't we bring her out here?"

The crowd screamed and cheered as her eyes grew wide as saucers. Spike turned toward her and cocked his head in a 'come here' motion. Buffy shook her head, the anxiety of the entire situation completely overwhelming her. Spike jumped up from his seat and sprinted across the stage and over to her as the audience continued to cheer.

"Come on out." He said grabbing her hands as he reached her.

"Spike, no," she said shaking her head and trying to pull away from him, "I can't."

"You can." He said as his reassuring blue eyes locked in on hers. "I'll be right there next to you, luv. Let's show everyone how perfect we are together."

Buffy didn't want to, she really didn't want to, but when he looked at her like that she just couldn't resist him. She nodded shortly and he quickly touched his lips to her forehead before taking her hand in his and pulling her back on to the stage behind him.

"There she is!" Allie said as Buffy came in to the view of the audience, cameras, and millions of people watching at home. A brilliant smile lit her face as she gave a small wave to the audience as she walked across the stage behind her boyfriend. He sat back down on the small couch next to Spike and wasn't surprised when he threw his arm across the back of it behind her shoulders. "Wow, so this is THE Buffy."

Buffy let out a short laugh as she nodded. "That's me."

"So what's it like dating a rock star?" Allie asked.

"It's interesting." She said with a nod, the audience laughed instantly. "It's pretty hard when he goes on tour but the time I get to spend with him when he's home makes it worth it."

"Do you ever get jealous that he's touring with a band consisting of mainly other girls?" She asked.

"Um, at first it was a little jarring," she said honestly, "but I've met the other girls and they're really cool."

"Even Darla?" Allie asked.

"Especially Darla." Buffy answered.

Allie shook her head as she turned her gaze to one of the multiple cameras around the studio. "We have to take a short break but don't go anywhere, all the good stuff is coming up here on TRL." The main camera man yelled something Buffy couldn't understand but when everyone began to move around and reposition themselves she knew that they had gone to commercial. Allie turned toward Buffy and gave her one of the brightest smiles she had ever seen. "This is so cool, we're the first ones to have an actual interview with you."

Buffy laughed. "Well, I hope I don't disappoint."

"Oh, you won't." Allie assured her. "If we get on any topics that make you feel uncomfortable or I ask any questions that you don't want to answer just let me know and we'll skip it."

Buffy nodded. "Okay."

Spike tightened his hold around her and quickly got her attention. "You alright?" He asked.

Buffy nodded as she looked over at him. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Spike smiled before giving her cheek a quick kiss as the cameras all turned back to them. "And we're back in 3... 2..."

"Welcome back!" Allie said happily. "We're here with Spike Pratt and girlfriend, Buffy Summers, in their first official tell all interview. So," she said crossing one leg over the other and turning her attention back to them, "how did you two meet?"

"I was working at The Shadow Gallery and Passions was playing there one night and my boss assigned me to take care of them." Buffy answered.

"Did you two hit it off right away?" Buffy and Spike both glanced at each other and the audience immediately burst out in laughter as Buffy scrunched up her nose and shook her head. "No?" Allie asked in shock.

"I was a complete git." Spike said out of nowhere and earning another round of laughter from the audience. "Practically threw myself at her and the poor girl sodding hated me."

"I wouldn't say hate," Buffy threw in, "I just didn't like you... at all."

"What changed?" Allie asked.

Buffy glanced over at Spike and her eyes were screaming at him to make something up. "I was persistent," he answered, "kept showing up at the bar to practice, kept seeing this pretty little thing running around doing this, that, and the other and she was gracious enough to accept my apology." Buffy practically sighed in relief as he omitted Angel's part in getting them together, the last thing she needed was backlash from that right now.

"I made him jump through so many hoops." Buffy said with a laugh. Spike looked over at her with his smirk firmly planted on his face as the audience laughed again.

"And then there was the shooting." Allie said.

Buffy nodded. "Yup, he took a bullet for me."

"And that's when you said," Allie put her finger in the air for a dramatic effect, "oh yeah, he's the one!"

Buffy laughed as Spike continued to watch her with that sexy smirk. "Sad, but true."

"Well, you two do have quite the love story." Allie commented. "What are you guys going to do when he goes back on tour?"

"You kidding?" Spike asked in mock seriousness. "Bloody taking her with me, that's what."

Buffy looked back over at Spike with a look in her eyes that could melt any heart and he just couldn't help himself. He wrapped his arm a bit more snugly around her neck and pulled her toward him. Right there, in front of God and everybody, he kissed his girl for the world to see.

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"I can't believe he made me do that." Buffy said as she got ready for the Chase Annual New Years Eve Party with Willow at Spike's apartment. Typically they both would have gotten ready together at Xander's, they usually lived there during this time of the year, but Spike's apartment had more room and a bathroom twice the size so the decision was obvious from the start.

"You did really well for your first interview." Willow commented as she dusted her lips with a shimmery gloss.

"I was so nervous." Buffy said as she pulled the curing iron through her hair. "Remember how afraid I was before every presentation in speech class? Multiply that by ten."

"Well at least it's over." Willow said.

"Are you guys almost ready?" Xander called from the other side of Spike's bedroom door. "The limo's going to be here in like ten minutes!"

"We'll be out in a sec!" Buffy called as she turned away from the mirror.

"Can you help me zip up my dress?" Willow asked from the opposite side of the room.

Buffy made her way over to where Willow was standing and carefully pulled up the zipper of her dress. It was a dark blue sleeveless number that was skin tight down to her hips before flaring out slightly all the way down to the floor. It looked great with the bright red of her hair and the tiny black heels she was wearing wouldn't even make her taller than Oz.

"How do I look?" Willow asked as she turned around to face her.

Buffy smiled. "If I was a man, I'd be all over you. Can you tie me?" Willow nodded and quickly went to work on the crisscrossing tie up the back of Buffy's dress. When she was finished Buffy turned. "So?"

Willow looked her up at down and gave a curt nod. "If I was a lesbian I'd be all over you."

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Since the moment she had emerged from the room Spike was completely unable to take his eyes off of her. When she had given him the purple tie to wear with his all black suit he had been a little nervous, but she once again proved that she knew exactly what she was doing when it came to formal wear. The dress had a tight bodice but a large slit from the floor to the knee gave her plenty of leg room and showed off the impossibly high black heels she was wearing perfectly. The small train that lingered behind her as she walked out of the apartment and in to the limo made her look like she belonged on the red carpet and the wide band of sparkling accents around her waist showed off her flawless figure perfectly. The heart shaped sleeveless neckline was proudly showing off his necklace and no one could deny that his girl was destined to be the belle of the ball.

She held his hand firmly in hers as the entire gang, including Riley, walked up to the Kristiana Mansion that the Chase family had rented out for their annual New Years Eve party. The place was absolutely beautiful with its double staircase accented by the glass windows swarming in a halo around the decorated wooden door. The multiple balconies and large fountains on the grounds made it almost castle like and it became entirely too obvious that the Chase's were using this opportunity to show just how much money they really had.

They walked in to the mansion and were all completely in awe of the marble hallways with huge stone pillars they saw inside. People swarmed all over the place and loud dance music could be heard from the main ballroom just down the way.

Willow shook her head in almost disbelief as they made their way through the front foyer and down the hallway. "This place is..."

"Impressive." Oz finished for her.

"You can say that again." Faith commented.

"This place in impressive."

The entire group glanced at Bob who seemingly saw nothing funny with his unneeded repetition. They walked in to the large ballroom and were immediately spotted by Cordelia.

"Hey guys!" She said with her plastic smile strapped on to her face.

"Hey." Buffy said with a genuine smile.

"Nice place." Riley commented.

"Oh, this?" Cordelia asked with a wave of her hand. "It's nothing compared to last year."

"I've never been anywhere this nice." Xander said as he shook his head.

Cordelia just smiled. "Well have some fun, dance, there's a ton of food and we have full run of the grounds and the entire house. The bar is over there," she said pointing across the room, "and everything is on the house."

"Thanks." Willow said sweetly.

Cordelia smiled brightly again and quickly made her leave of the group. Buffy looked around the room and was surprised by just how many tables were stuffed on to one side of the huge room. "Let's go grab a table." She suggested. Everyone followed her over to the seating area and they quickly claimed a table as their own. When all of their things had been scattered around they decided it was time to get the party started and moved out to the dance floor.

"I love this song!" Faith said as she grabbed Bob's hand and made a run for the dance floor. Everyone watched as Faith began to dance skillfully around a very awkwardly looking Bob.

"Wait till he gets a few drinks in him," Spike said with a laugh, "suddenly he's Gene Kelly."

Buffy laughed as she pulled him further in to the throngs of dancing people and over to where Faith had taken Bob. Slowly but surely the rest of the gang followed behind and all started dancing in a sort of circle around one another. No one even noticed when Riley went straight for the bar.

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"Just a small town girl!" Bob yelled along with the stereo. "Living in a lonely world! She took a midnight train going nowh- anywhere! Why is this not the Glee version?"

Everyone in the group laughed as he continued to butcher the once awesome song. Drunk Bob had made an appearance about an hour ago and the group had secretly taken bets on how long it would be before he was face down passed out on the their table. Everyone else had a pretty good buzz going, but no one was anywhere near the levels of inebriation that Bob was currently reaching.

"I'm about to switch sides and go with Spike's answer," Faith said as her drunk date clung to her and tried to make her do what he apparently thought was dancing, "he's going to be out before midnight."

"No!" Bob yelled. "I know what you all are doing and it's not going to happen! I'm out-waking all of you!"

"Okay," Oz said as he clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder, "whatever you say Bobby."

"Don't stop! Believing!" Bob yelled. "Hold on to that feeeeeelin'!"

Spike chuckled as he rested his chin on Buffy's shoulder. He could tell just by the way she was leaning in to him and the heat radiating off of her skin that she was definitely feeling the effects of her alcohol intake and, to be honest, he was as well. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before moving his lips to whisper in her ear.

"Wanna go outside with me for a bit?" He asked gently. "I have a feeling we could both use the fresh air."

"Street lights, people, ah-ah-aaaaah!"

"And a break from Banshee Bob over there."

Buffy let out an alcohol induced giggle before she nodded her head in agreement. Spike grabbed her by the hand and led her over to the door leading to one of the large balconies. The night view was absolutely breathtaking. The estate was covered in large trees and this particular balcony overlooked not only a large, beautifully detailed fountain, but also gave them quite a view of the large body of water that resided just past the treeline.

Spike felt Buffy give a slight tremor from beside him and instantly shed his suit jacket. "Can't have you freezing to death." He muttered as he wrapped it tightly around her small form.

"But now you're going to be cold." She pointed out.

Spike gently rested his hands on her hips and used them to turn her around slowly. With her facing the outlook before them he wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned them gently against the balcony's stone railing. "I think I'll manage." He whispered.

They stood in silent awe for a few moments as they took in the view and let the cool night are clear their heads. It was pretty cold out, she had been right about that, but the warmth of her body nestled against his kept him plenty warm.

"One minute left!" Someone called from inside the ballroom. Most of the other couples on the balcony or loitering around the grounds quickly rushed inside to join the main group for the count down, Buffy and Spike didn't move an inch.

"Do you want to go inside and bring in the new year with your friends?" He asked as he placed a soft kiss on the sensitive skin on her neck.

Buffy turned in his arms and rested her back against the banister as she locked her eyes with his. "I was hoping that we could do ours alone."

Spike smiled warmly at her as he recognized the words that he had said to her on Christmas morning. He ran a hand through her wavy hair as he gazed down at her. He nodded slightly, the same way that she had, and waited for his cue."

"3... 2... 1... HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Spike's lips crashed down on to hers with a gentle passion as the crowd in the room behind them cheered. To them there couldn't have been a more perfect moment, but for the pair of prying eyes on the balcony above this new year was already turning out to be anything but happy.

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It was going on two in the morning and the party was still in full swing. Everyone was having a blast and nobody wanted the night to end. Buffy sat at the large round table with Spike on one side and Willow on the other. Oz was next to her and on his opposite side was Bob. He was practically falling on to Faith at this point but luckily she had Xander next to her to help her when he started to slump down. They had offered multiple times to call their limo and have it pick them up but Bob refused.

"I'm a trooper!" He yelled.

"Whatever you say, Bob." Oz said as he pulled him back up in his chair.

The group had been involved in happy conversation for the better part of the last twenty minutes and everything seemed to be going great. Feeling one of the slightly more annoying effects of the alcohol, Buffy politely excused herself from the table.

"Feeling alright, luv?" Spike asked with concern, the last thing he wanted was for his girl to be puking in the bathroom with no one around the hold her hair.

"Yeah, just have to pee." She answered.

Spike nodded and quickly got to his feet. He pulled her chair out for her and offered his hand to help her stand. She took it graciously and quickly made her way out of the ballroom and in the direction of the bathrooms. When she walked out in to the main hallway, however, she was stopped in her tracks when she saw Riley sitting on the third to last stair of one of two large staircases with his head in his hands.

She walked over to him with concern evident on her face. "Are you okay, Riley?" She asked as she approached him.

His head shot up and when he saw that it was Buffy his expression turned in to a scowl. "Like you care." He slurred.

Buffy's brow furrowed as she took in his words. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Riley scoffed as he got unsteadily to his feet. "You don't give a shit how I feel, Buffy, just admit it and stop trying to be such a damn saint all the time."

"Riley," she said as she shook her head, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Jesus Christ!" He roared. "I'm in love with you, Buffy! Pure and simple!" Buffy watched as he began to pace back and forth in front of her. "You know how I feel about you and all you do is rub it in my face that I can never be with you."

"Okay," Buffy said as she tried to block out what he was saying and cast it off as drunken bullshit, "I think it's time that you go home."

"Don't mother me!" He yelled as he took a couple of menacing steps toward her. "I saw you two outside, on the balcony, making out like your lives depended on it."

"What?"

"Yeah," he said with an angry nod as he glared down at her with his hands on his hips, "you do that shit just to make me jealous."

"No," Buffy said, "I did that because Spike is my boyfriend and it's what couples do when the clock strikes midnight on New Years Eve."

"Shut up, Buffy!" He yelled. "Just shut up! You are stupid, stupid you know that? You run around with this guy who's never here and is probably banging random sluts while you're here playing miss prim and proper girlfriend."

"Riley," Buffy said warningly, "you really need to stop talking now."

"Make me." He challenged as he took another step toward her.

"Hey!" Buffy and Riley both looked over to see Spike rushing over to them from the ballroom. He had an icy glare in his eye and Buffy knew that this wasn't going to be good.

Riley let out a bitter chuckle as he turned back to Buffy. "Oh look, your white knight is here."

The next thing Buffy knew Riley had spun around and threw a punch directed for Spike's face. He dodged it with ease and, much to Buffy's surprise, didn't try to hit him back. When Riley threw a second punch and actually landed it, however, Spike decided it was time to handle things his way. His arm shot out and quickly landed a punch to Riley's nose. Apparently it was still sore from where it had been broken by him before and Riley wasted no time with throwing another punch in to Spike's abdomen. Spike grabbed Riley by the hair and quickly brought the man's face down on his knee as the blood began to pour from Spike's newly busted lip.

Out of nowhere four police officers ran in to the foyer and began to pry the two men off of one another with much difficulty. Everyone inside the ballroom had apparently heard the commotion outside and were all quickly rushing to the foyer to see what was going on for themselves.

"Get the fuck off me!" Riley roared as two police officers pinned him to the ground and quickly handcuffed him. Buffy watched in horror as Spike was thrown against the hard marble wall and soon enough he too had a pair of silver shackles slapped around his wrists.

"You are both under arrest for battery. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." The officer said as he pulled Spike away from the now blood splattered wall. "You have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you. Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?"

"Buffy!" Spike yelled as the police officer led him out of the mansion.

Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Oz all took no time in following Spike and his arresting officer but when his partner stuck out a hand to stop them Buffy could do nothing but watch as her boyfriend was thrown in to the back of a police cruiser and promptly taken away.

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"**I'll leave that bitch a cliffhanger, bitches love cliffhangers!"**

**Reviews?**


	21. Chapter 21

**This chapter goes out to Amy (xaphania on Elysian Fields) who is the mother of my wonderful new TSG banner. For all my people reading on ff . Net I fully recommend you following the link to it in my profile. It's fantastic, honestly. Look out for a special little thank you that I've decided to throw in here for you. I have a feeling you'll like it. :)**

**Thanks, as always, to my wonderful reviewers, people who have favorited this story, and the people who just sort of lurk around and take a quick peek. All of your support and kind words, or lack there of, is incredibly appreciated. I didn't get quite as many reviews for the last chapter as I usually do, but from what I gather it ended with quite a shocker. We'll just call it speechlessness. **

**Or maybe you're all upset with me about the cliffhanger? ;)**

**Also, I have never been arrested so if the details are kind of off about the entire thing I apologize. I actually had about an hour of conversation with one of my coworkers about when he got arrested so that I could get this a little closer to the real. **

**HIGH HO, SILVER! AWAY!**

**Chapter 21.**

"Daddy, do something!" Cordelia cried from the front of the consistently growing crowd.

"I can't!" He replied as he held his hands out widely to either side of him.

"Why are you arresting him?" Buffy asked the officer that was currently blocking her way. "You didn't even take a statement to see who was at fault or even what happened! Spike was-"

"It is a strict policy of the property owners that anyone involved in any type of altercation be removed from the premises immediately." He explained.

"But you didn't have to arrest them!" Oz yelled in a way completely inconsistent with his usual calm demeanor.

"They were each arrested because the altercation turned physical." The officer said evenly. "They will each be put in a holding cell for the night until they can be seen by the judge tomorrow morning. By then we will know if the owners of the property wish to press charges or not. Until then there is nothing that you can do."

Buffy stared at the officer in shock. The night had been so wonderful, practically perfect in every way, and now this. She couldn't believe it and had no idea where she was supposed to go from here.

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"What do you mean you got arrested?" Anya screamed through the station pay phone.

Spike closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the cold metal of the machine, he had one phone call and right now he was really regretting wasting it on Anya. He should have just ordered a pizza or something. "Not sure how to explain it differently, An."

"What are the charges?" She asked.

"Battery." He said quickly. "Got in a brawl with some git at that party. Next thing I know I'm slammed in to a wall and thrown in to a cop car."

"Are you okay?" She asked, her concern for his safety actually seeming sincere.

"Other than being in jail," he said quickly, "fine. Got a busted lip, that's all."

Anya let out a deep sigh. "This is not good, Spike. You do realize what this could do in that case with Angel, right?"

It was now Spike's turn to sigh. "I've thought about it."

There was a slight pause as Spike heard the quick typing of computer keys on her end. "Have you thought about the fact that you having multiple priors, especially this close to when he filed the charges, is really going to come back and bite you in the ass?"

"I know," Spike said through gritted teeth, "but this is what I sodding pay you for."

"Actually, you don't pay me at all, the record company-"

"You're the best in the business, Jenkins." He said softly. "I could kill a kitten on video and you could make it seem like a huge misunderstanding."

"I am pretty spectacular." She said lightly.

"So use your magic and make this better." He said.

"What's the name of the venue you were arrested in?" Anya asked.

"The Kristiana Mansion." He answered.

"Times up." The officer said from behind him.

Spike rolled his eyes. "Gotta go."

"Okay." Anya said as she typed furiously on her keyboard, "take care of yourself and don't cause any more trouble. I'm going to make a few calls, see what I can do about all of this and with any luck you'll be out by noon tomorrow."

"Thanks." He said hanging up the phone and giving the officer a slight nod. This wasn't his first rodeo, he had been arrested a couple of times in the past and he knew the drill. Any acting out would do nothing but make the entire situation that much worse and he knew that he really couldn't afford that right now. He followed wordlessly as the police officer led him back to his cell, he was in for a long night.

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Everyone was dropped off at Spike's apartment about an hour later. The entire limo ride had been spent in almost complete silence. Nobody was really in the mood for talking, not even Bob. Oz had called the police station shortly after they had left and they had told him the exact same thing that the officer at the mansion had, he was completely unable to do anything to help his best friend and it left him with an almost empty feeling.

They all exited the limo and began to make their ways to their cars, all except for Buffy. She sat staring at the apartment complex as if it was to be the scene of her own gruesome murder and the last thing she wanted to do was go inside. Xander had noticed her staring motionless at the building and instantly turned around. He walked up to her slowly and extended a hesitant hand to rest on her shoulder.

"You okay?" He asked softly.

"I don't want to go in there." She said quietly.

Her voice was nearly a whisper but Xander had heard it loud and clear. "Come on," he said as he tightened his hold on her shoulder and turned her away from the apartments, "mi casa es su casa."

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Spike sat on the small uncomfortable bed that adorned his cell. He had his head resting against the wall and his legs were tossed up on top of the itchy green blanket and crossed at the ankle. He had been ignoring Riley's cold glares from his cell across the hallway for a few hours now and it was getting old.

"What's the matter soldier boy?" He asked without looking at him. "That strip search get you all hot and bothered?"

"I really don't like you." Riley replied angrily.

"Feeling is mutual." Spike responded with his normal careless tone.

"And one day Buffy's not going to like you either."

Spike's head tilted to the side and met Riley's eyes straight on. "You really need to keep her name off of your lips, mate."

"Why's that?" Riley asked in an obvious attempt to illicit a reaction from him.

"As I recall," Spike said coolly, "you're little fascination with my girlfriend is what got us in to this mess. How's your nose?"

"How's your lip?" Riley shot back.

"Much better than those bruises forming under your eyes." That seemed to shut the boy up for a few moments. "So why, pray tell, do you have so much hate brewing under your surface towards me, Captain Cardboard?"

"Because you're a pompous ass." Riley answered quickly.

"No," Spike said as he scratched at a sudden itch behind his ear, "there's more to it than that. Come on, cub scout, we've got nothing better to do. Might as well clear the air here."

"Fine," Riley grumbled, "I don't like you because you're not good for her."

"Always back to my girl."

"All you're going to do is use her, screw her, and toss her to the side." He said as he ignored Spike's comment. "You've already got her face in every magazine in the world and when this is all over she'll never be able to go back to being a normal person. She shouldn't be with you."

"I believe that decision should be up to Buffy." Spike shot back.

"Buffy doesn't realize the mistake she's making."

"And what makes you the supreme expert on the subject, crew cut?" Spike asked as he finally let his anger seep to the surface. "Come on, tell me."

"I'm not-"

"Exactly!" Spike said loudly. "You don't know anything about Buffy and I. Yeah, I'm gone a lot and I may have a lot of birds swooning over me but that has never gotten between us. When I'm gone I call her every night, I see her face in the crowd every time I sing a song. I spend my entire tour counting the days before I can get back to this bloody slum just to see her face, just to wake up next to her every morning."

"And what are you going to do when that's not enough anymore?" Riley asked.

"Take her with me!" Spike answered. "There's nothing I want more than to take her away from this place and never look back, give her a life full of traveling around the world and seeing everything there is before turning around and visiting her favorites all over again."

"So what's stopping you?" Riley asked.

"She is!" Spike yelled as he moved up to the bars of his cell. "All that girl wants to do is finish school and as much as it kills me to leave her behind I do it because I care about her. I want her to be happy even if it means not seeing her for weeks at a time and I will always put what she wants first. Take a page from my book, tin man, when you care about someone as deeply as I care for her you tend to do a lot of selfless things, including leaving them to their own lives."

Riley didn't respond, he had never thought about it like that. He had feelings for Buffy, strong ones at that, but he had never actually realized how toxic those feelings could be for her, not until right now.

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"Oh, my God!" Buffy yelled at Xander's television. "Why would he shoot him in the chest? They have one bullet left and the guy is begging them to shoot him and he shoots him in the chest!"

"I know!" Xander said as he stuffed a handful of popcorn in his mouth.

Xander had gotten the complete series of Lost on DVD from Clem and since Buffy had never seen it they decided to spend what was no doubt going to end up a sleepless night watching as many episodes as they could. They were both getting really in to it and completed their movie night with sodas, popcorn, and about five boxes of Oreo cookies. Buffy was a little spacey sometimes, all things considered she had every right to be, but Xander was just happy that he could do something to help.

"Do you think Spike's okay?" Buffy asked suddenly.

Xander nodded as he chowed down on some popcorn. "I'm sure he's fine."

There was a long pause and for a moment Xander thought that the conversation may have ended. "Have you ever been arrested?"

Xander froze, popcorn filled hand stopping right before it met his already unhinged jaw. He looked over quickly and saw her looking at him with the same sad eyes she had been glaring at the building with. He dropped his hand to his lap and nodded. "Yeah, once when I was like eighteen."

"What was it like?" She asked.

"Well," he said, "first they stick you in the cop car and drive you down to the station. When you get there they give you a strip search and then take your fingerprints and a mug shot. You get put in a cell and just wait until they take you to be seen by the judge."

"Then what happens?"

"The judge," he said, "well the judge will... judge you and tell you what you need to do."

"What do you think they're going to make Spike do?"

Xander shrugged. "I'm not sure, maybe some community service or something."

Buffy nodded and pretend to pay attention to what was on the television screen. Xander watched as she picked nervously at her nails, something he had only seen her do once before. He reached out and put a hand on top of hers, she looked over at him with unshed tears welling up in her eyes.

"Buff," he said quietly, "he's going to be fine."

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"Well boys," the judge, an older woman with kind eyes and graying hair, said from the stand, "you two sure have gotten yourselves in a whole mess of trouble."

Spike and Riley both stood on opposite sides of the room with their eyes trained solely on the judge. They had sat in their cells for eight hours and the last thing that they wanted to do was stand in front of this woman and explain their actions. Spike wanted to get home and Riley just wanted to sleep, but the only way to their destinations was through this scene.

"Yes, your honor." Spike agreed.

"Luckily for the two of you both Mr. Chase and the owners of the Kristiana Mansion have chosen not to press charges, but the fact still remains that there was an altercation and said altercation did end violently." She said.

Spike bowed his head as he clasped his hands behind his back, this was not going to be good.

"Mr. Pratt, it seems that you currently have a lawsuit pending against you for assault and battery." She said as she looked over their file.

"Yes, your honor."

"Do you realize that should I charge you with this account of battery that during your next trial you could be sentenced to up to twelve months in jail as a repeat offender?" She asked.

"It was my fault." Riley said suddenly.

Spike's eyes narrowed as he kept his gaze fixed on the podium across the room, what was he doing?

"Go on." the judge said.

Riley sighed. "It was New Years Eve and I had been drinking. I got jealous over Spike and his girlfriend and just lost it."

"Intoxication is no excuse for putting your hands on another person, Mr. Finn." The judge said in a somewhat harsher tone.

"I know," Riley said quietly, "I am completely ashamed of my actions and I will accept the consequences."

The judge glanced down at the file she had sitting on her desk as she spoke. "You do realize that by this admission I can sentence you not only to pay a fine of up to one thousand dollars but also six months in jail?"

Riley nodded. "Yes, your honor."

The judge turned her attention to Spike. "Mr. Pratt, you are within your rights to press charges against Mr. Finn. Do you wish to do so?"

Riley held his breath as he waited for Spike's answer. "No, your honor, I think we're done here."

The judge nodded. "I am going to reduce the charges from battery to drunk and disorderly. You are each ordered to pay a fifty dollar fine as well as court costs which will equal the sum of one hundred and forty dollars."

Spike smiled as Riley let out an audible sigh of relief. "Thank you, your honor."

The judge nodded as she closed the file on her desk. "You are both free to go but if I see you in my court room again I will go for the full penalty, do you understand?"

Spike nodded. "Yes, your honor."

The judge smiled. "Happy new year."

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Buffy walked in to the empty apartment at quarter past ten the next morning. She was exhausted from the night before and the bus ride back to the building did nothing to calm her down. Between the crying baby and annoying teen talking on her cell phone at an obnoxious volume it had been pretty close to what Buffy imagined hell was like.

She flipped on the light switch and quickly made her way across the living room and over to Spike's bedroom, she was desperate to change out of the old pair of worn out jeans and long hooded sweatshirt she must have left at Xander's months ago and in to something comfortable. She was already plenty irritated as it was with the entire lack of sleep thing working against her and these old clothes from a time long since past were just egging on her frustration.

The moment she hit the inside of his room her sweatshirt was pulled over her head and thrown carelessly to the floor. The jeans followed close behind as she walked over to her suitcase in the corner of the room and sifted through it with clumsy motions. She could have cared less about the mess she left in her wake as she went on in her search. She found a black tank top and threw it on over herself before pulling out a pair of gray capri cut sweatpants with Roth University written in red down the leg.

Finally feeling comfortable she turned to make her way back in to the living room to watch some TV while she waited for Spike to show up, the last thing she expected was for him to open the front door just as she was closing the one to his bedroom.

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Spike walked in to the apartment and came face to face with the one person he was actually nervous about talking to, Buffy. She stood next to the door to his room, her hair still in the soft waves it had been in the night before, and she was looking at him as if she had just seen a ghost. She had small circles under her slightly bloodshot eyes and Spike could tell that she had gotten just as little sleep the night before as he had.

"Go on, then." He said quietly as he closed the door behind him. "I've already gotten an earful from Anya and Giles both on my way over here so if I'm gonna have it out with you it might as well be-"

He was cut off when Buffy flung herself in to his arms so roughly that he had to take a step back to reclaim his balance before wrapping her up in him tightly. Her small arms were wrapped tightly around his neck and her could already feel the tears soaking in to his black dress shirt from the night before.

"I was so worried about you." She whispered against the crook of his neck.

Spike kissed the top of her head softly. "It's alright, luv, I'm fine."

She pulled back slightly, just enough to look him in the eyes. "There was nothing we could do, we tried to follow behind you but the cop wouldn't let us."

Spike's lips lifted in the slightest ghost of a smile as he gently wiped away one of her tears with his thumb. "I know."

Buffy's brow knit together and her frown deepened as she took in his injuries. "Your lip." She said sadly.

Spike chuckled, she was so damn cute. "I'm fine, ducks, it'll heal."

"What happened?" Buffy asked. "When you were in jail I mean."

"Well," he said as he released his hold on her and led her over to the couch, "we sat in our cells all night and at about nine we got taken to see the judge. She ended up reducing the charges and we just have to pay a fine."

"Reduced the charges?" Buffy asked.

Spike nodded. "Yeah, to drunk and disorderly. Riley pulled some type of hero move and admitted that it was all his fault, that he was the one that attacked me, and she decided to let us off easy. It was strange."

"I'm just glad you're home." Buffy said. "I couldn't even come in here last night. I stayed at Xander's all night watching Lost."

"Bloody brilliant show." Buffy nodded but didn't say a word, her relief was completely overtaking her and Spike could see it clear as day in her forest greens. He leaned forward and lightly touched his lips to hers before pulling back, standing up, and offering a hand to her. "Come on, I think we could both go for a nap."

Buffy took his hand and followed him in to the bedroom. The each climbed in to their own side of the bed and turned to face one another. With their hands joined together between their faces they each fell in to the black abyss with nothing but the other on their minds.

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"We set up a merch table at most of the shows we go to." Anya said as they walked out from behind the stage of The Shadow Gallery. The guys had a show there tonight and Anya had thought it would be the perfect time to introduce her to her new job. "Nine times out of ten they will be at the back of the venue."

"Okay." Buffy said as she followed behind Anya.

They approached the hallway that usually would lead to Clem's office and the storage room and Buffy was surprised to see it blocked off by a long table and a couple of standing racks behind it. As they got closer Buffy noticed that the table was full of Flesh of the Passions merchandise and several of the band's posters and other random things were hanging on the racks. There was a girl standing between the table and the racks working quickly at organizing the merchandise as much as she could in the small space.

"And this is your new coworker." Anya said as they reached the girl. "Since I have my own work to do she's going to teach you how they do things back here."

Buffy smiled sweetly and extended her hand. "Hi, I'm Buffy."

"Amy." The girl answered as she took Buffy's hand firmly in her own and gave it a nice shake. "I'm so happy to meet you, I've heard a lot about you."

"Really?" Buffy asked.

"Oh, yeah." Amy said laughingly. "When you tour with a band you kind of get to know them and your name tends to pop up pretty often."

"I'll let you two get friendly." Anya said as she quickly walked away.

Amy was a pretty brunette girl with long hair and long bangs pushed gently to the side of her eyes. Amy was a little taller than her and had an aura of happiness around her, Buffy liked the girl instantly. "So what do we do?" Buffy asked.

"Well when we first get to a venue we set up the table." Amy explained. "Sometimes they will have little nooks already set up for us, but usually we're just throwing up this little beauty and calling it a day. We put a black sheet over the table and the racks, just to give it a more put together look, and then just kind of throw one of each thing up there."

"Does it matter where?" Buffy asked.

Amy shook her head. "No, as long as it looks good it's fine. We have index cards that go with each item that says how much it is and stuff like that. If you lose one or rip it, no big deal, we've got like three hundred extras."

Buffy laughed. "Sounds simple enough."

"It is simple until the fans actually get in here and then it gets kind of crazy." Amy explained. "You'll have like twelve people shouting things at you but you've just got to choose one and let the others wait it out. We'll get to everybody before we shut down for show time."

"Shut down?" Buffy asked.

Amy nodded. "Yup, we close down during the show and are free to do whatever we want. We've just got to be back here before they do their encore so that when the lines start forming again we're ready."

Buffy nodded, she could handle this.

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Doors had opened some time ago and the fans had been swarming over to the merch table non-stop. Buffy was somewhat used to the constant onslaught of orders, she was a waitress after all, but she had to admit that this was pretty ridiculous. Everyone wanted something different and every time it seemed as if their size was all the way at the bottom of one of the boxes. When the venue lights went out and everyone began to sardine themselves closer to the stage Buffy couldn't help but give a sigh of relief.

"You okay?" Amy asked.

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, it's just a lot of work."

"Hence why we only do it before and after the show, we need the break between." Amy said as Glory Wire took the stage.

_I met a girl in East L.A._

_In floral shorts, as sweet as may._

_She sand in eighths in to barrio chords,_

_we fell in love, but not in court._

Buffy shook her head as she listened to Glory belt out the beginning of their opening song. She had never been sure just why those two bands had been thrown on a tour together, their sounds were completely different, but Buffy decided that the question wasn't important enough to pursue the answer as she turned back to Amy.

"I'm going to run over to the bar," she said, "my friend is the bartender. Do you want anything?"

"Yeah," Amy said with a nod, "sure I'll come with you."

The two girls walked up to the bar together and Buffy wasn't the least bit surprised when she saw Willow sitting in front of it talking carelessly with Xander. "Hey guys," she spoke over the music as she approached them, "this is Amy."

"Hi, I'm Willow." Willow said with a sweet smile. Amy waved at her and turned her attention to Xander just in time to see him turn his back on them and quickly start mixing up a few drinks.

"That's Xander," Buffy said to Amy, "looks like he knew what we were here for."

"It's a bar," Xander called over his shoulder, "this is all anyone's here for."

"That's not true," a familiar voice said from behind Buffy that made her blood run cold, "I'm sure most of these people are here to see the bands play."

Buffy turned and came face to face with none other than Riley Finn. She looked at him just long enough for him to notice the angry look in her eyes before quickly turning back around with every intention of ignoring him for the rest of the night. When he walked up in front of her, however, she knew it was easier said than done.

"Can we talk?" He asked.

"I have absolutely nothing to say to you." Buffy said angrily.

"Will you at least just hear me out?" He asked.

Buffy glanced around her, she really didn't want to do this here in front of everybody but there was nowhere semi-private for them to go. She let out an annoyed sigh as she turned back to him. "Go."

"I'm really sorry about last night."

"You should be." She shot back quickly.

"But I admitted what I did to the judge and everything is fine now." He finished.

"Fine?" Buffy asked in angry shock. "You think that just because you told the truth that everything is fine?"

"Well," Riley said, "it could be a lot worse."

"But it's not fine, Riley!" Buffy said angrily. "You got Spike arrested, he had to spend a night in jail because of you."

"Look, I know what I did was wrong but I promise that it is all in the past now. I get that you're happy with Spike and I'm going to back off-"

"Damn right you're going to back off!" Buffy yelled. "I don't want you anywhere near me!"

"Buffy-"

"No." She stopped him quickly. "After the first time you and Spike had an issue I told you that we could still be friends, I gave you another chance, and all you did was stab me in the back. You came at me at that party and honestly I was scared to death, I have no idea what would have happened if Spike hadn't showed up, and then you decked him. You punched my boyfriend and got the two of you arrested."

"But Buffy-"

"You've proved to me time and time again that being friends with me is just too difficult for you so just forget it. We are not friends anymore, Riley, and to be honest I don't think we ever were. You don't do the things you've done to a friend."

With that Buffy walked away from the group as they watched her with looks of utter surprise on their faces. The adrenaline that was coursing through her veins led her blindly through the crowd and over to the front door. She walked around the building and to the employee parking lot and wasn't surprised when she saw the security guard restricting access to the area where the buses were parked.

She told the guard her name and he let her in without question. She approached the Passions bus and wasn't surprised to see Spike standing just outside of it smoking a cigarette and talking quietly with Oz and Bob. Oz noticed her first and she saw him say Spike's name as he tilted his head toward her. Spike turned around just in time for her to crash her lips against his.

This is where she belonged.

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Buffy sat just to the side of the stage as Flesh of the Passions played their set. She could see Amy still sitting over at the bar with Xander and Willow and luckily there was no sign of Riley anywhere. Every now and again Spike would shoot a look her way, give her a little wink or blow her a kiss, and then turn his attention back to the crowd.

They had just finished playing Bastards at the Gate when Spike ran off of the stage and over to her. He was a big sweaty mess but that didn't bother her as he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "New song coming up," he said quickly, "wrote it about you way back at the beginning."

Buffy smiled. "Can't wait to hear it."

"Kind of an ass in it, luv," he said with a laugh, "prepare yourself."

Buffy cocked her head to the side. "I think I can handle it."

Spike chuckled as he gave her one more quick peck before rushing back out on the stage. He hit the strings to his guitar in a way that made the sound carry for a few seconds. Oz took his cue and instantly began plucking away at his bass as Bob waited for his moment to enter the newly started song.

"Some girls," Spike said between guitar strums, "you can't live with them." Another strum. "Other girls, you'd die without them." He played a couple notes before beginning again. "This is about a girl that makes me want to stand up and shout. Buff, baby, this one's for you. Yeeeeeeaaaaah!"

_Gotta leave town,_  
_Got another appointment._  
_Spent all my rent,_  
_Girl you know I enjoyed it._

_Ain't gonna hang around till there's nobody dancing._  
_I don't wanna hold hands and talk about our little plans, alright!_

_Cold hard bitch,_  
_Just a kiss on the lips,_  
_And I was on my knees._  
_I'm waiting, give me,_  
_Cold hard bitch,_  
_She was shakin' her hips,_  
_That was all that I need._

Spike glanced over and noticed Buffy shaking her head, arms crossed over her chest, and the biggest smile on her face. She was taking the song in good humor just like he had intended.

_Gonna check her out,_  
_She's my latest attraction._  
_Gonna hang around,_  
_Wanna get a reaction, yeah!_

_Gonna take her home cause she's over romancing,_  
_Don't wanna hold hands and talk about our little plans alright!_

_Cold hard bitch,_  
_Just a kiss on the lips,_  
_And I was on my knees._  
_I'm waiting, give me,_  
_Cold hard bitch,_  
_She was shakin' her hips,_  
_And I that was all that I need._  
_I'm waiting, give me,_  
_Cold hard bitch,_  
_Just a kiss on the lips,_  
_And I was on my knees..._

There was a quick instrumental break before Spike began to sing again.

_Yeah I'm waiting._  
_Yeah I'm waiting._  
_Yeah I'm waiting._  
_Yeah I'm waiting!_

_Cold hard bitch,_  
_Just a kiss on the lips,_  
_And I was on my knees._  
_I'm waiting, give me,_  
_Cold hard bitch,_  
_She was shakin' her hips,_  
_And I was all that I need._  
_I'm waiting, give me,_  
_Cold hard bitch,_  
_Just a kiss on the lips,_  
_And I was on my knees._  
_I'm waiting give me..._

The crowd cheered and Spike was happy to see Buffy clapping her hands along with them. This was going to be his favorite tour, no doubt about it.

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**Reviews? Next chapter is Buffy and Spike starting off the tour! :)**


	22. Chapter 22

**I am so sorry for the wait. I had written about half of this a few days after the last one was posted but won concert tickets and didn't get to finish it when I had planned. When I came back to finish it up the next day it had somehow been completely erased and I had to start all over again. I got it back to the exact same spot and left it to be finished the next day only to come home from work and see that my lovely dog had somehow managed to tear the monitor from my keyboard and my laptop was in two pieces. I just got it back on Friday and have been writing the crap out of this thing.**

**This chapter goes out to Hurricane Irene for giving me oodles of time to finish this little diddy up. I now have two different laptop batteries so while my power is out I am free to write to my heart's content. **

**Chapter 22.**

"If we don't leave now we're going to miss our flight." Buffy said as she stood with her arms folded across her chest leaning against the front door to Spike's apartment. She tried to conceal the smile on her face as she watched him tear through the living room looking for his lost boot, but the sight of him crawling around on his hands and knees as he searched under the couch was hard to take seriously.

"Don't know what to tell you, pet," he said, "not leaving without my boot."

"Don't you have three other pairs packed?"

"Yes," he said with a tone of aggravation, "but this is my lucky boot."

"Obviously not since it seems to have left you in the middle of the night." Buffy shot back sarcastically.

"Not the time for jokes." Spike said as he quickly got back to his feet and made a bee line for his room. Buffy shook her head as she extracted her cell phone from her pocket, their plane was leaving in a little over two hours and she knew that they were going to be cutting it close. As she shoved her phone back in to her pocket something black and leather caught her attention from the corner of her eye. She knelt down next to the island in the kitchen and couldn't help but laugh.

"Found it!"

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Through nothing less than a miracle Buffy and Spike managed to get to the airport and check their bags in record time. They had easily found the rest of their group sitting on the far side of the terminal and blocked off on all sides by Glory's security minions. Buffy followed Spike as he led her to sit with the rest of the two touring bands in the seats across from Willow and Oz. Buffy couldn't help the pang of guilt she felt as she took in the sad look on her friend's face. Up until now she hadn't really taken the time to consider how Willow must have been feeling the past couple of days. The first time that the boys had left she had had Buffy there to go through it with, to keep her strong and to stay strong for, but this time the red head would be doing it alone.

As if picking up on her sudden sadness Spike reached his hand across the armrest dividing their seats and laced his fingers between hers before giving them a reassuring squeeze. She glanced over at the man to her left and gave him a quick, sad smile. He gave a soft sigh and a slight nod, he knew what she was thinking without needing her to say the words and, truth be told, he was feeling the same way.

"Flight 163 to BWI, now boarding."

Buffy didn't miss when Willow closed her eyes for a moment as the voice spoke through the intercom. She recovered quickly and Oz never noticed the splash of pain that momentarily painted her eyes, but Buffy did and the sight nearly broke her heart. She watched Oz take Willow by the hand and lead her over toward the wall of windows a few feet away for one last moment together.

"That's our cue, luv." Spike said as he stood. He grabbed both of their carry on bags and threw them over his shoulder with an ease that surprised her.

She threw a quick glance back over at Willow and Oz. He had a hand resting against her cheek as she tilted her head to nuzzle against it. Turning back to Spike, she nodded. "Just let me say goodbye to Willow."

Spike gave a short nod as Buffy turned and made her way toward her best friend. No words were said as the girls enveloped one another in their arms. Each had closed their eyes as they rested their heads on the other's shoulder.

"I'm going to miss you." Buffy said as they each pulled away.

"Call me as soon as you land." Willow said sounding every bit like the mother hen she was known to be.

Buffy gave a soft laugh as she nodded her head. "I will, I promise."

"And you," Willow said as she looked past Buffy and to the platinum blonde standing behind her, "you keep the two of you out of trouble. If anything happens to her I'm holding you fully responsible."

"Wouldn't want to anger the Big Bad Red." Spike said sarcastically.

"Damn straight." Willow said with a curt nod.

Buffy laughed as Spike slung an arm around her shoulders and gave her a quick squeeze. "You ready, pet?" He asked.

Buffy nodded. "Yeah."

After one last round of hugs Buffy and Spike turned together and made their way toward the terminal doors as they gave the soon to be separated couple one last moment of privacy. Spike gave the attendant their tickets and with that they were on their way to the large metal bird they would be riding through the sky.

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"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking." A voice from within an intercom on the plane said with a tone of utmost professionalism. "We will be taking off within the next couple of minutes and I would ask that you please direct your attention to the flight attendants at the front of each section as they demonstrate correct flight safety. Due to the weather we should expect a fair amount of turbulence throughout the duration of our flight. As always thank you for choosing Northwest Airlines and enjoy your flight."

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Buffy fiddled with her fingers nervously in her lap as the plane hit another bout of turbulence. This was only the second plane trip she had taken in her entire life and she was almost certain that this much shaking and bouncing couldn't be normal. Spike, on the other hand, was not at all phased by the unexpected thrill ride that they were currently experiencing and seemed perfectly content as he watched the in flight movie.

She glanced around the plane for what seemed like the millionth time since take off and, as always, everyone was still exactly where they had been from the very start. She and Spike were lucky enough to have been seated together with Oz in the row in front of them and Darla in the one behind. Glory was sitting at the very front of the plane and her security detail was spread throughout the aircraft. Andrew sat behind her and, after asking if he was being punished for something, Bob was all the way in the back surrounded on either side by two elderly gentlemen. Everyone seemed to be completely calm but as the plane hit yet another air pocket, Buffy could no longer stand it.

Spike glanced over at Buffy and saw her quickly unfasten her seat belt. She had been acting a bit strange the entire flight, something he had attributed to having said goodbye to her best friend a mere hour before, but now he wasn't so sure. "You alright, sweetheart?" He asked as she removed the headphones from his ears.

Seemingly startled Buffy whipped her head around quickly and he was slightly unnerved to see anxious eyes looking back at him. "Fine." She lied unconvincingly.

His eyes flicked from her face down to the unbuckled belt on her lap before quickly returning to their starting point. "Planning on going somewhere?" He asked.

Buffy's mouth moved as she tried to come up with some type of excuse. "Bathroom," she finally stammered, "I have to go to the bathroom." Spike raised his scarred brow as he took in her odd behavior. She gave him a quick smile as she rose unsteadily to her feet. "I'll be right back."

Spike turned and watched as she quickly fled from her seat and down the center isle of the plane. When she dashed behind a curtain to where the bathrooms were located he sat back in his seat and gave his head a subtle shake. He felt his headrest compress and wasn't surprised when he turned his head to see Darla leaning against it from behind him.

"Can I help you?" He asked with a tone mirroring his annoyance.

"She okay?" Darla asked.

Spike sighed. "I don't know," he answered, "she's been off since we left."

"Hmm." Darla said shortly as she leaned back. Spike momentarily thought that the conversation was over but when he heard the sound of her seat belt unhooking he quickly turned back around to find Darla about to stand up.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

Darla looked at him with a mask of pure innocence covering her face. "I have to pee."

"You do not have to pee." Spike said as he shot her a skeptical look.

"Now, now, Spikey," she said, "how could you possibly know that?"

"Easy," he answered, "I know you."

Darla smiled widely, her inner demon shining through her facade. "I have no idea what you could possibly be talking about."

"Do not go after her, Darla." He warned.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do." He said quickly.

"Oh, you." Darla said as she gave him a quick pat on the shoulder. "So paranoid, you should really get that checked out."

"Darla..."

"I'm going to the bathroom," she said as she stood, " and if I happen to run in to your beautiful blonde babe in there and we just happen to talk..."

"Dar."

"...Then it's simply fate."

Spike sighed as he shook his head and watched Darla make her way down the exact path Buffy had just descended and hoped that she wouldn't make things worse.

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The moment Buffy got in to the cramped airline bathroom she felt the strength that she had pulled from god knows where slip away from her as she promptly fell against the door and allowed her body to slowly sink to the floor. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably and the chills she was experiencing were unlike anything she had ever felt. She felt her chest tighten painfully and soon found herself practically gasping for air as the tears streamed down her face. She crawled on her hands and knees to the toilet as she felt her body arch and heave involuntarily as a sudden bout of nausea struck her. She was seeing spots and her head was spinning so ferociously that she hardly heard the knock coming from the other side of the door.

"Occupied." She choked as her body convulsed with yet another dry heave. She heard the person on the other side knock again and responded once more with the same one word. When the knocking came again and the doorknob shook as someone tried to pry it open Buffy lifted herself to her feet and opened the door just enough for her to face the inconsiderate intruder. "Listen, asshole-"

"Buffy?" A familiar voice said from beyond the door. When Buffy realized Darla was the rude knocker she opened the door a bit further and let the woman enter the bathroom. "Jesus Christ, are you okay?"

"I don't know." Buffy said as she leaned against the sink. "My head is spinning and I-I can't stop shaking."

"Is your chest tightening?" Darla asked.

Buffy nodded as she ran a quick hand through her now sweaty hair. "I feel like I'm going to pass out."

"Shit." Darla cursed under her breath as she put a hand on either one of Buffy's cheeks, forcing the girl to look at her. "Buffy, listen to me, okay? You're having a panic attack, that's all."

"A what?"

"Panic attack," Darla repeated, "you're going to be okay. These happen all the time and they're due to stress, anxiety, anything that gets you upset. Just breathe, doll, in and out." Darla grabbed one of Buffy's hands and placed it just above her chest as she breathed in and out deeply. "Come on, Buff, breathe with me and just try and calm down. In... and out. There you go. In... and out."

Buffy did as Darla said and within minutes she was beginning to feel normal again. Her heart rate slowly decreased and the chest pains she had been experiencing were almost nonexistent. She opened her eyes slowly and was slightly taken aback by the look of overwhelming concern that was clearly visible on Darla's features. Darla smiled sweetly as she released Buffy's hand and let it fall away from her body. "You okay now?"

Buffy nodded slowly. "I think so." Buffy turned and looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a mess and her face was pale and stained from the tears that had been falling from her bloodshot eyes. The underarms of her gray shirt were stained from her sweating during her attack and her makeup had smeared everywhere. "I look like a crime scene."

Darla laughed as she opened the bag that had been hanging from her shoulder and pulled out a whole assortment of beauty products ranging from foundation to eyeshadow and even a small pack of baby powder and a simple black, v-neck shirt. "Take your pick, sweet thing."

"You carry all of this around with you?" Buffy asked in amazement.

Darla shrugged. "You've got to be prepared when the paparazzi is following you around every corner."

Buffy took the items in her hands and quickly went to work freshening herself up. Darla shared a trick of the trade and sprinkled her hair with the baby powder as Buffy fixed her face. By the time she was done washing off the old and applying the new she noticed that the white powder had absorbed the oil in her hair and after a quick shake of her head and a wardrobe change she was as good as new.

"You ready to go back out there?" Darla asked as she reached for the doorknob.

"Yeah," Buffy said, "but could you do me a favor and not mention this to Spike? He worries a lot and I just-"

"Say no more." Darla said as she raised her hands in surrender. "A girl is allowed her secrets."

Without another word the two left the bathroom and made their way back to their seats. Buffy sat back down next to Spike and instantly leaned her head in to rest on his shoulder. He glanced down at her and was immensely relieved when she looked back up at him with a smile on her lips. He wondered what had happened while she was gone and why she had been acting so weird before but he decided not to push the issue, as long as she was okay he was happy.

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"Here we are," Spike said as he led Buffy on to the tour bus, "home sweet home."

Buffy looked around at the scene before her and was just in complete awe. Seeing the bus from the outside was one thing, but actually being on it was quite another. Toward the front of the bus was an area that Buffy would best describe as the living room. There were couches on either side of the bus and on the wall that separated them from their driver was a large, flat screen television that was hooked in to a DVD player and multiple gaming systems. Past the couches was a small kitchen complete with stove, microwave, cabinets, and even a small table next to the windows. Spike took her by the hand a led her toward the back of the bus where each of the band members' bunks were stationed.

"This," Spike said as she pulled back the heavy black curtain covering the entrance to the middle bunk on the right side of the bus, "is our bunk."

Buffy peeked her head inside and was surprised by just how he had decorated the thing. It was about as wide as a twin size bed and had a set of three shelves at the foot end covered in variously things ranging from notebooks and pens to the picture of the two of them that had been spread across the entertainment section of her local newspaper so long ago.

She smiled as she used the small ladder on the side of the bunks to climb inside and make herself comfortable. She wasn't the least bit surprised when Spike climbed in behind her and pulled the curtain to give them what little bit of privacy the bus could provide them with.

"What do you think?" Spike asked as the two cuddled together, Buffy's head resting against his chest as his arms moved to wrap around her.

"I love it." She answered as she let her eyes fall closed and let the sensation of Spike running his hand through her hair consume her. She loved these moments, the intimate little times where they were free from the sight of prying eyes and could just enjoy one another. Just as she was feeling herself drift off to sleep she felt Spike's chest rumble as he said something. She lifted her head slowly and looked up in to the blue eyes looking down at her. "What did you say?"

"I asked if you were okay," he said, "you weren't yourself on the flight."

"I'm fine." She said quietly.

"You're sure?" He asked.

Buffy gave him a quick, tired smile before she reached up and let her lips find his. The gesture was simple and sweet, but it was exactly what Spike needed in that moment. She pulled away slowly and let her head fall back to rest against him. "I'm just tired, Spike, nothing to worry about."

"We've got a couple hours drive to the hotel," Spike said as he let his head fall back against the pillows behind him, "what do you say we take a quick kip so we can get the best out of our night off when we get there?"

Buffy smiled to herself as she snuggled in closer to him. "I think that's a wonderful idea."

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"Oh, my God." Buffy said as she followed Spike in to the hotel room they would be staying in for the next three nights. "Are all of the places you stay this nice?"

She took her time surveying the large, luxurious room with wide eyes and slightly gaping jaw. The far wall was nothing but windows and a sliding glass door that led out to a large balcony complete with table, chairs, and porch swing. There was a small, half circle table next to the door against the window with two chairs set around it. There was a large, comfy looking recliner sitting in the corner with a small glass side table next to it. The bed was the biggest she had ever seen and covered with a white down comforter and several fluffy black pillows. There was a minibar next to the door and from what she could see the bathroom was just as luxurious as the room itself.

"Yeah," Spike answered, "it's weird. We're either all cramped up on that bus or staying in five star hotel rooms. Can be kind of jarring sometimes."

Buffy laughed softly as she made her way further in to the room. "The bus isn't that bad."

"What you saw today is the cleanest the thing has ever been." He said as he followed closely behind her. "Give it a week and you'll feel like you're living life in poverty. Glorified trailer, that thing."

Buffy dropped her bags to the floor next to the closet and began to walk toward the large windows. She opened the sliding glass door and tightened her arms around her jacket as she made her way on to the balcony. The view was a wonderful picture of not only the boardwalk below them but also the large, spacious beach and ocean beyond it. She wasn't the least bit surprised when Spike followed behind her and wrapped her in his strong arms from behind.

"It's really beautiful, isn't it?" Buffy asked as the sun began to set just beyond the water.

She felt his body move as Spike shrugged his shoulders from behind her. "I've seen better." He whispered as she planted a quick kiss just behind her ear.

"Yeah?" Buffy asked as she let herself relax against his body.

"Yeah," he answered, "you don't know beauty until you see London at sunset, dove."

"You really love it there, don't you?" Buffy asked as she let her eyes fall closed.

"It's home, luv," he said, "can't wait to take you there."

"HEEEEEY YOOOOU GUUUUUUUUYS!"

Like a brick through a pane of glass the intimate nature that the moment had taken was shattered to irreparable pieces by Bob's terribly timed reference to The Goonies. Spike jumped away as Buffy's eyes flew open to see Bob standing at the door to the balcony with a deer in headlights look on his face as he realized that he had just completely interrupted.

"What?" Spike yelled in annoyance. Bob stared at the couple in what was almost a state of shock as he quietly responded that there was a band meeting and quickly retreated from their room. "Bob Bryar, the cockblock from hell."

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Buffy and Spike entered the conference room on the first floor of the large hotel, hand in hand, both curious to see what this was all about. Spike was used to these meetings that were always held at the beginning of each leg of the tour but it was definitely a first for her. The rest of the group, including Amy, Glory's security personnel, and a few people that Buffy didn't recognize were already seated in the rows of chairs that made the room look almost like a college lecture hall. The unfamiliar faces were all wearing jeans and t-shirts to she assumed that these new people were roadies and not big wigs from the record company.

Spike led Buffy over to a couple of seats next to his band mates and the two quickly made themselves comfortable. When she turned her attention back to the front of the room she saw Anya and Giles both working quickly around a table covered in various folders of all different colors and thicknesses. Buffy felt a light tap on her shoulder and turned to see Bob reaching behind Oz to get her attention. He mouthed the words 'I'm sorry' and, with a short laugh, Buffy nodded and responded that it was okay and turned back to the front of the room.

"Can I have everyone's attention please?" Anya said in to the microphone that she held in her hand. Everyone in the room began to settle down and turn toward her so that they could get this technicality over with. "Hi," Anya said, "for those of you that don't know I am Anya Jenkins and this is Rupert Giles. We manage Flesh of the Passions and Glory wire. Now, let's get down to business. This leg of the tour is very important to everyone involved with Flesh of the Passions about to release a new album and VMA nominations coming up very quickly."

Everyone in the room gave a light round of applause before Giles spoke in to his own mic. "We did very well on the first leg of the tour and the purpose of this meeting, as most of you already know, is to make sure the second leg runs just as smoothly."

Anya picked up a large pile of folders and instructed the people at the beginning of each row to take one and pass them back. "In these folders your will find a complete itinerary of where we are going, when we have shows, what flights and hotel rooms you have been booked, and everyone's work schedules."

Buffy grabbed the folder that was presented to her and quickly began to finger through it. Just as Anya had said the first page was full of dates, city names, venues, and times that the gigs would take place. The second page was a list of hotels they would be staying at throughout the tour followed by a list of flights they would be taking. The last few pages were schedules for different departments and Buffy was glad to see quite a few nights where the merch table was going to be run by venue staff instead of her and Amy.

"We have quite a few new faces with us this round and we want to make sure that everyone knows what is going on, when it is happening, and what is to be expected of them." Giles said. "Generally speaking we will have a show every other night and everyone is expected to do their absolute best during each one. This includes everyone from security, retail, personal assistants," he shot a look at Glory, "and band members themselves."

"We all know about the couple of," Anya paused as she tried to find the right words, "incidents that we have come across in the past few months and the record company has asked us to go over the anti-violence policy that they claim to strictly adhere to."

Spike, Oz, and Bob all laughed quietly together as they realized that their stunts over the past few months were definitely the cause of this subtle warning. They listened as Giles sped through the policy and the repercussions that breaking the policy may have, up to and including being dropped from the label, but none of them took it very seriously.

"Basically," Anya said, "no fights. The label has gotten involved now and, frankly, I'm tired of dealing with the bad press. It's all fun and games until some gossip mag blasts you on the front cover for punching some guy and then suddenly I have to pull a story out of my a-"

"Anya." Giles said sternly. The blonde's head turned toward him quickly and, after a moment of wondering why she was being scolded by her mentor, she gave a small smile and took a seat. Giles, now having the full run of the show, leaned against the table, removed his glasses, and began to talk to the people in his audience just like a father would with their child. "I understand that in our chosen profession we have to deal with a lot of people we don't necessarily like and sometimes when that combines with the more annoying effects of alcohol consumption buttons can be pushed and arguments can ensue."

"Here, here!" Bob yelled.

"I am asking you all, as a personal favor to Miss Jenkins and myself, to have some self control. The last thing that we want is for any of you to get hurt or lose a job over a bar fight." Giles slowly put his glasses back on before casting one last look around the crowd and giving a slight nod. "That's all for now, you're all free to go until sound check tomorrow night."

Everyone began to collect their things and make their way from the room as quickly as they could. Buffy smiled as she saw Darla and Andrew make their way over and take a seat in the row in front of them. "Thank God that's over." Bob said loudly.

"Yeah, we're only here for a couple nights, can't waste it away in meetings." Andrew said happily.

"So," Darla said, "what's the plan?"

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"Hey, Spikey," Bob yelled as the rollercoaster began its backwards climb up the bright red tracks, "have you seen Final Destination Three?"

Without warning the train was dropped and the passengers began their near ninety degree angle fall to the ground below. At almost the last possible second the tracks changed direction for a turn that would cause the car to go sideways. Buffy screamed as Spike laughed when the ride took them through three consecutive loops before hitting another hill and stopping at the top for a moment of suspense before dropping them down to go through the same ride backwards. When the car came to a sudden stop everyone lurched forward against their restraints as laughter shook their bodies.

"You okay?" Spike asked as he attempted to look over at Buffy from where he was pinned against his seat.

"I'm fine." Buffy answered through her laughter. "I love these things."

Spike smiled and sat back until the restraints were released before grabbing his girl's hand and leading them back to where Andrew was holding the rest of the gang's bags. "How was it?" He asked.

"Awesome!" Bob answered immediately.

"You should really try to get one one," Darla said, "you might like it."

"No way am I getting on one of those crazy death machines, uh uh, no way." Andrew said quickly as he handed everyone their things. "I'm more of a teacups kind of guy."

"Well, those are right over-"

"I am NOT getting on teacups." Spike said as he effectively cut off whatever Bob was about to say.

The group got on a few more rides including the merry mixer, the zipper, bumper cars, and even a haunted house before finally ending up at the Boardwalk Arcade. Bob and Oz went off toward the claw machines as Darla went for the slots and Andrew went to watch some kids play Dance Dance Revolution. Buffy wasn't entirely happy about this part of their plans, arcade games had never exactly been her forte, but she went along with it nonetheless.

"Come on," Spike said as he grasped Buffy's hand in his, "this one's my favorite."

Spike walked up to one of the water gun relay races and handed the man running it his money before sitting down next to the three other competitors. Down toward the far end of the game was an older man, about Giles' age, working quickly to line up his shot. A few stools down from him was another man, this one seeming to be in his mid to late twenties, with a dark haired girl watching from behind him with her hands on his shoulders. The last player was sat just one seat away from him, a young boy with a backwards hat chewing loudly on a piece of bubble gum. Spike smiled to himself, this would be easy.

"On your mark," the announcer said, "get set. Go!"

Spike pulled the trigger of his gun and the stream of water hit the small target perfectly as his horse began to run across the wall decorated as a racetrack. He didn't take his eyes off of the target until he heard the victory bell sound and looked up to see that his horse had made it across the finish line.

"Congratulations, sir." The announcer said as he handed him the large stuffed bear that he had won.

Spike smiled as he claimed his prize but couldn't help but look at the little boy he had just beat. He watched as the kid turned around and glanced at a group of girls his age that were standing on the other side of the arcade. The boy turned back to the game, head hanging in defeat, as he tried to scrounge his pockets for another three dollars.

His mind made up, Spike tapped the kid on the shoulder and waited for him to turn around. "Yeah?" The kid asked.

"Here," Spike said as he held the large stuffed animal out to the kid, "go give this to your honey and act like you won it."

"Are... are you sure?" The kid asked as he hesitantly reached for the bear.

Spike gave the kid a smirk and nodded. "Yeah, kid, go on and take it."

The kid smiled brightly as he grabbed the bear by the head and jumped off of the stool. "Thank you! Thank you, sir!"

Spike laughed as he watched the kid go before turning back to the woman he called his own. He shoved his hands in his pockets and tried to hold back the smile when he took in the look of adoration she was giving him. "That was sweet." She said sincerely.

"Had to do it," he said with a shrug as he reached her, "he needs it more than I do."

They both watched as the boy approached the girl that had been standing in the middle of the group and handed her the large stuffed bear. She raised her hands tentatively to take it as a rosy pink blush formed in her cheeks. The kid walked away from the group as the little girl's friends gushed over how cute the action had been and how much they liked her new bear. She watched the boy walk away as she held the bear closer and nodded along with whatever her friends were saying.

Spike turned back to Buffy and put an arm on each of her shoulders before clasping his hands together behind her head. "So," he said as he looked back in to her eyes, "what do you want to do now?"

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The door to the Four Seasons Hotel room 1256 flew open as the two bodies of the people renting the room crashed in to it already hard at work getting the other out of their clothes. Spike kicked the door closed before quickly picking Buffy up and slamming her against it. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he pinned her between him and heavy wooden door behind her and went to work pulling the black t-shirt over her head and throwing it to the floor. She could already feel the poke of his engorged member through his pants as she quickly pulled his own shirt off and let it join hers on the floor.

"So bloody gorgeous." He murmured as his lips found the sensitive skin of her neck before tearing her away from the door and making it over to the bed in three long strides. He dropped them on to the soft mattress and took no time in unfastening her jeans before pulling the tight clothing down her legs and tossing them across the room to be quickly joined by her tiny lace panties and matching bra. Not one to be outdone she pushed against his chest and quickly flipped them over. From her place on top of him she quickly undid his own black denim pants and he made quickly work of kicking them off of his body.

"Wanna try something different." Spike whispered as his lips once again connected with hers and his hand found her hot sex and quickly began to stroke her wet folds. At Buffy's nod of agreement he flipped them back over and quickly positioned himself behind her as he gently pushed her upper body forward so she was on all fours. With her completely exposed to him and both more than ready he slowly entered her. He heard her moan in pleasure as she took him in and it was nearly his undoing. From the angle Spike had from the new position he was hitting the sensitive spot within her with every forward thrust he made. She bit her lip in an attempt to stifle her cry as he reached around and fondled her clit with skilled fingers.

"Mmm, Buff," he whispered as he leaned his own body forward against hers, "so good, kitten."

"Spike," she panted as she felt his teeth gently graze her shoulder, "I'm gonna-"

Before she could finish her sentence her orgasm hit her like a rushing wave and she cried out his name as he continued to thrust in to her. Within minutes she felt as Spike found his own release and filled her with his seed. He pulled out of her and flopped unceremoniously on to the bed below him and opened his arms for Buffy to do the same. They laid together, both trying to catch their breath, until the familiar curtain of exhaustion overtook them and they fell in to a restful sleep.

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**So what do you think? Can I get some reviews to keep this thing going? My power is out and I have nothing else to do, if you're lucky I might be able to squeeze another chapter out of this thing before my batteries die. :)**


	23. Chapter 23

**Alright kids, power is back and I'm ready for action! I left for a trip to Gettysburg on Friday and, believe it or not, still didn't have power. I got back today and let me tell you, I have never been so happy to turn on a freaking lamp in my entire life. **

**Also, I am back in school and for some reason I tend to do a lot more writing during that time as opposed to between semesters. I'm hoping that updates will come a bit more frequently, but with that pesky "real life" thing going on I can't make any promises other than I WILL NOT ABANDON THIS STORY.**

**This one is kind of dramatic and so is the next one. Fluffy is taking a nap so I hope you all are ready for that.**

**This chapter goes out to Isis Nocturne of the Elysian Fields 'verse. Good luck in your new apartment and school semester! **

**Honorable mention: Funkyhamburger for having the best, yet completely unsettling, pen name ever.**

**Chapter 23.**

"Buuuuff." Her eyes opened groggily as the sound of Spike's voice fluttered to her ears. "Wake up, Buff."

"Mmmm." She moaned as she slowly turned to face him. She was thrown a bit off her guard when she saw that he was already showered, dressed, and in total game face. "It isn't time to wake up."

Spike chuckled as she cuddled further against his chest. It was almost automatic when his hand reached out to swipe a strand of hair out of her face and almost an instinct that made him place a soft kiss on her forehead. "It is for me, pet, you've still got a while."

She rubbed her eyes sleepily as she tried to rid herself of the residual drowsiness from the past few nights. It had been a week since they had started the tour and the couple had slowly but surely slipped in to a fairly regular routine. They would wake up together every morning either in his bunk or a luxurious hotel room before eventually emerging and wandering around whatever city they happened to be in. Two hours before doors opened they would show up at whichever club or venue they were playing that night and go their separate ways tofulfill their individual responsibilities. After the shows they would typically go out to a late, very late, dinner at any diner that happened to be open with the rest of the bands before whisking one another away for a little private time. To say it was nice would be an understatement, to say it had been the best week of her life would be much closer to the truth.

"You sure you have to go to that meeting today?" She mumbled as her tired eyes found his.

He smiled down at her as his thumb gently caressed her cheek. "Unfortunately," he answered, "but I should be back in a couple of hours."

"Good," she said, "I've never been to Philadelphia before and I don't want to spend all of my first trip here in the hotel room."

"Sure 'bout that?" He asked with a suggestive smirk.

Buffy laughed softly as her eyes drifted closed again. "Go before I change my mind."

With a slight chuckle he touched his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. "Call you later, luv."

Without another word Spike straightened himself up, threw a hand through his hair, and made his way to the hotel lobby where the rest of Flesh of the Passions was waiting for him. He didn't want to go, these things were always a total nightmare, but it wasn't up to him. Besides, it was only one meeting, what was the worst that could happen?

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The light blue Mazda 3 drove in to lot 316 of Wavering Hills trailer park slowly and careful not to hit any of the children that were walking around, riding bikes, or playing random games between the lots. She carefully put the rental car in park and removed the key from the ignition. She pulled her sunglasses away from her face and tucked them gently in to her wavy red hair. She gave herself a quick once over in the rear view mirror before opening the car door and getting out slowly. Her designer boots hit the dirt floor as she quickly made her way over to the trailer. With a deep breath she raised her manicured hand and knocked steadily on the front door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." A rough, aging voice called from inside. Within seconds the door was open and the man inside was staring at the girl on the stairs with a look of disdain written across his features. "Well, if it isn't our little superstar. Come to mingle with the commoners?"

"Hi, Dad." Glory said quietly, head hanging slightly and eyes looking anywhere but at him.

The large man crossed his arms over his stained white shirt as he leaned against the trailer door. "To what do we owe this great pleasure?"

"I was in the neighborhood," Glory answered as one hand rose to gently rub the opposite arm, "I wanted to see you guys."

The man scoffed loudly. "Who are you and what have you done with Gloria?"

"It's Glory now... Dad."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." He said as he moved to walk in to the house.

Knowing that this was as much as an invite as she was going to get, Glory followed her father in silence in to the trailer. She saw her mother laying on a bed in the middle of the living room connected to multiple tubes, monitors, and even an IV. Glory felt the tears well up in her eyes as she looked her over but moved further in to the room nonetheless. Her mother was completely motionless and her eyes were closed, the only thing that made Glory know that she was alive was the constant beep on the heart rate monitor that she was connected to.

"How is she?" She asked as she made her way to the well used recliner next to the comatose woman on the bed.

"Same as she has been." Her father answered as she reached her hand out to rest against the motionless one before her. "She don't know you're there."

"I know." Glory said as she rubbed her thumb softly against the back of her mother's hand. She hadn't been home in six years and, if she was honest with herself, this was mainly the reason why. She had been sixteen when her mother was hit by a car and fell in to coma thanks to a drunk driver and a terribly timed walk of the dog. The family had been strapped for money before the accident but things went nowhere but downhill from there. When she had ran away to L.A. a year later she had never wanted to look back and for the past six years she had done a fairly good job of leaving the past behind her. She would call every now and again to check up on things but it was never more than a five minute conversation. If she was honest with herself she would admit that it was the fear that had kept her away, but in the world she had created for herself she was invincible, unstoppable, and afraid of absolutely nothing.

"Why are you here?" Her father's voice shook her out of her silent musings and she immediately turned to face him.

"I told you," she said, "I wanted to see Mom."

"You could have came to see her any time in the past six years and you didn't." He said as he took a swig from a whiskey bottle she hadn't even noticed him grab.

"I was busy." Glory responded lamely.

"Bullshit." Her father spit. "You abandoned us, you left this family."

"I didn't-"

"You did!" He roared at a level that made her jump. "You ran away like a dog with it's tail between it's fucking legs to L.A. and didn't even call for three fucking years!"

"Dad, I-"

"You went out there and you made it big and still you did NOTHING to help!" He yelled.

Glory grabbed the bag from her shoulder and immediately went searching for her checkbook. "What do you want?" She asked as she found it. "How much do you need, Dad? Five thousand? Ten?"

"I don't want anything from you!" He yelled. "I don't even know you, _Glory."_

"Dad, I just-"

"No!" He yelled as he threw the bottle at the trailer wall. "I don't want anything from you! You are not my daughter!" She quickly jumped from her seat and made her way toward the front door. She was caught completely off guard when his hand shot out to grab her by the hair and she practically fell in to the wall as he pulled her close. "Listen to me, you little bitch." Her father growled in her ear. "You are nothing to me, you get that? NOTHING!"

Glory clenched her jaw as she waited for him to release his hold on her hair.

"If you ever come back here again," he whispered, "you'll find a shotgun waiting at that door for you, got it?" When she didn't answer he slammed her head against the wall, eliciting a slight whimper from her lips. "Got it?"

Glory nodded. "Yes."

After one last tug he released her hair and pushed her toward the front door. "Get the fuck out of my trailer."

Glory stumbled outside and back down the stairs and over to her rental car. She unlocked the doors with shaking hands and quickly got inside, slamming the door shut behind her. A single tear fell down her disheveled face and she wiped it away with a violent flick of her wrist. She pulled her sunglasses out of her hair and sat them on the bridge of her nose. With one quick shake of her head the sad, scared little girl was gone and the mask of the super diva she was had been put firmly back in place.

This didn't hurt. Nothing could hurt. She was Glory, and she was invincible.

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Spike sat in the conference room of the Eyeball Records Philadelphia office, head leaning on his fist as he slowly but surely sunk lower and lower in to the uncomfortable black leather office chair. He enjoyed touring, he really did, but having to meet with the label in every city they had an important big wig in was really a hassle.

He let his mind wander back to the girl he had left alone in his bed that morning and couldn't help the smile that rose to his lips. She had only been touring with them for a week and it was already, hands down, the most fun he had ever had on tour. She apparently hadn't traveled much in her life and with every city they went to she turned in to the proverbial kid in a candy store. Things that he had taken for granted she saw as the beautiful landmarks that they were made to be. The fact that he could take her to these places, that he was the one to make her face light up like her family's Christmas tree, made these ridiculous meetings worth it.

He absentmindedly thought back to the first show she had accompanied him to back in Maryland. She had been amazed at how long the line to get in to the venue had been and even more surprised when the guys, and even the girls of Glory Wire, emerged from the bus and took a few good minutes to sign anything that was thrown their way and snap a couple of photographs for their fans. The real shocker had came when Buffy was asked for her autograph not once, but multiple times.

"You're a star." He had whispered in her ear as she went along with the requests and he could tell how much these people had made her day.

The feel of a high heeled foot rubbing against the bottom of his leg brought his attention back to the task at hand and his head quickly snapped over to the brunette sitting directly across from him. With an aggravated sigh he moved his legs off to the side of the table and out of Cecily's reach, he couldn't stand the woman and the very last thing he wanted was to have her in the same room as him, let alone touching him with those hooves of hers.

"Mr. Pratt," the man leading the meeting said, "is there a problem?" Spike pursed his lips and raised an eyebrow as his head made a quick tilt to the left before returning to the same position it had been before. The man narrowed his eyes slightly before continuing with the conference. "As you know, we like to send someone along to whatever show you may be having in our fair city and tonight is no exception."

'Christ,' Spike thought, 'another night of babysitting these gits.'

"Miss Adams has been kind enough to volunteer her time tonight to attend the show and I do hope that you all will be as kind to her as you were to me the last time around." The man said.

"Don't worry, Frank," Cecily said from across the table, "I have no doubt that my boys will show me a good time."

Spike and Oz both glanced at one another, Bob would have joined in their shared look had he been awake to notice what was happening, and both could hardly stifle their groans. Cecily coming to a show was never a good thing, even when she had just been another face in the crowd she somehow managed to stir up problems, but the fact that they were going to have to show her around and spend whatever time they weren't on stage with her definitely did not sit well with any of them.

"I'm sure they will." Frank responded. "Now, with all that being said we've managed to pull a few strings and get you on to the top radio station in Philadelphia for an interview in an hour. We've gone ahead and called you a cab so head on down to the lobby and you can all be on your way."

One by one the people that had been sitting around the table began to disperse. Oz glanced over at Bob and gave him a quick jab to the ribs and waking him instantly. "Yeah, what Spike said." He yelled as he shot awake. In the excitement that was Bob nobody had even noticed Cecily make her way over to them.

"See you tonight, boys." She gave Spike's shoulder a quick squeeze before walking out of the conference room, swaying her hips seductively the entire way.

Bob looked over at Spike and Oz and saw both of them staring toward the door with very angry expressions plainly strewn across their faces. "What did I miss?"

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Buffy had been running back and forth from her suitcase to the full length bathroom mirror for the better part of the last hour. It was going on noon and Spike was still gone, while the cat's away the mouse will play and this particular mouse liked to play with clothing. She had gotten the random urge to look especially good tonight and she could feel that she was on the edge of style glory.

Her phone began to vibrate loudly from it's spot on the bathroom sink and she quickly made her way over to it. She saw Spike's name written across the screen and took no time in answering it. "Hello?"

"Hey there, luv." His accented voice said through the phone.

"How was the meeting?" She asked.

"Same as all of the others." He responded with a sigh.

"That bad, huh?" She asked.

"You have no idea." Spike glanced down the hallway toward the little demon that was currently talking animatedly to who he assumed was her boss. "Listen, pet, they scheduled some interview for us today so I won't be able to get back before the show."

Buffy frowned to herself as she glanced at the outfit she had decided on in the mirror. "Are you serious?"

"Unfortunately." He said obviously unhappily. "I'm really sorry, Buff. I know you wanted to see the city and all that but this is my job, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do."

"No," she said as she pushed her bangs out of her face, "it's okay. I completely understand."

"I'll make it up to you." He said quickly. "Tomorrow night, you and me, dinner."

"We always go to dinner after the shows." She pointed out.

"This one'll be just the two of us." He said. "We'll skip the sound check and I'll get us reservations at the fanciest restaurant this place has to offer."

Buffy shook her head with a silent smile, he was always trying to make her as happy as possible. "You don't have to do that."

"Want to, pet, trust me." He said.

Buffy laughed softly. "Okay, deal, it's a date."

"That's my girl." He said with an obvious leer in his voice. "Gotta go now, cabs here."

"Alright, I'll see you at the show."

"Right." He answered. "See you then."

Buffy sat the phone back down on the nightstand and looked herself over in the mirror. She silently mused over how he had called just when she had found the perfect outfit to knock him off of his feet with. With a shrug of her shoulders she continued to work on getting herself ready, if she couldn't shock him before the show she might as well do it after.

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Xander stood at his normal spot behind the bar washing the dishes that had been left for him from the night before. Typically he would have been annoyed at Riley for leaving his dirties behind and throwing his work off on him, but he knew it had been a busy night and understood that sometimes there just wasn't enough time to do everything. He shook off the slightly annoyed thoughts as he noticed the waitresses begin to trickle in one by one for their shifts. Clem was busy interviewing a potential new employee and Xander had been designated the task of assigning them their sections for the night so he wasn't surprised when Cordelia made her way up to the bar and sat across from him where he had put the schedule. When she continued to sit there after having obviously already seen which tables were hers, however, Xander knew what was coming.

"Can I help you?" He asked with a sigh.

"Have you talked to Buffy lately?" She asked a bit louder than was actually necessary.

Xander glanced around and noticed that she wasn't the only one with that question on their mind. Faith took no time in making her way over to the seat next to her coworker with a look of obvious interest on her face. The other two waitresses that had been scheduled that night stayed a safe distance away and pretended to wash off a random table or two, but it was more than obvious by the way they were glancing over at regular intervals that they were listening, too.

"Of course I have," Xander answered, "she texts me every day."

"Where is she today?" Cordelia asked.

"Philly," he said as he continued to clean Riley's dishes, "they'll be there for the next couple of days."

"How are things with her and Spike Pratt?"

Xander sat the glass he had just finished cleaning on the table before leaning forward with his hands resting against the sides of the sink. "You know I'm not telling you guys anything, right?"

"What?" Cordelia asked.

"You guys are constantly trying to pump me for information." Xander said as he addressed everyone in the room. "I know you guys are all wondering about what's happening on that tour but I'm not saying a word."

"But Xander-"

"But nothing." Xander interrupted. "Buffy's my friend, and I guess Spike is, too. I'm not going to go around telling everyone the things that she tells me, they have the media for that. I don't mean to sound like an ass or anything but if you are all going to try to get me to spill the inside scoop you're going to be walking away very disappointed."

"I didn't mean anything by it, I'm just curious." Cordelia defended herself.

"I get that, but you're not getting anything out of me."

The conversation was dropped when the sound of the door to Clem's office opened and the man's cheerful voice could be heard coming from the hallway. It was obvious by the way their manager was acting that whoever had been being interviewed had definitely gotten the job and everyone was curious to see who the new member of the team was going to be. When The Shadow Gallery's newest employee came in to view, however, Xander's jaw tightened and his back got slightly stiffened, Cordelia's eyes grew wide, and Faith's hand clenched in to a strong fist.

This was not going to be good.

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"I need two small rising red t-shirts, a poster, and a pack of the Passions pins."

Buffy nodded and quickly turned to collect the items that her current customer had asked for. She opened one bin, reached down to the very bottom, pulled out a couple of small shirts, and continued over to the bin below the poster. She grabbed one of those before reaching for a pack of pins from under the cash box and turning back to her customer. "That'll be forty nine even."

The customer gave her the money before rushing off in to the crowd to secure his spot in the pit. Buffy allowed herself a small smile, she was definitely getting better at this stuff. During the first few shows she had been searching for a good minute before finding which t-shirt she needed and then a little bit longer to find the right size. It had been difficult but she had caught on fairly quickly and was now going through the line almost as fast as Amy.

They had gotten another helping hand for the second leg of the tour and both Buffy and Amy were grateful for that. He was a man named Chris with light brown hair cut in to a thick Mohawk and multiple piercings decorating his face. He was a little bit older than Buffy and was about a foot taller than her, but the two got along just fine and his sense of humor was a lot like Xander's. He had been surprised to find out that she was "The Buffy" but had gotten over that fact almost instantly and she was very happy to see that he treated her the same way that he treated Amy.

The lights went down and everyone that had been standing in line quickly dispersed and made their way to wherever they could to get a glimpse at Glory Wire. Amy quickly closed and locked the cash box while Chris did a quick inventory and made a mental list of things they needed to restock. Buffy would have been busy repositioning the merchandise on the display had a pair of arms not grabbed her through the curtain and pulled her in to the dimly lit hallway behind it.

"Well, hello cutie." Spike's voice whispered in to her ear from behind, breath gently tickling the back of her neck. Buffy turned herself around to face him before quickly finding his lips with her own. The two hadn't seen each other since early that morning so it was no surprise when what was meant to be a quick peck lingered a bit longer than it was originally meant to. "Miss me?"

"Absolutely." Buffy muttered before quickly letting her lips caress his once more before pulling away.

"My, my, my," Spike's voice said as his bright blue eyes took in her appearance despite the darkness of the hall, "aren't you a sight for sore eyes?"

"You like it?" Buffy as with a smile as she did a quick turn, allowing him to observe all of her hard work and loving the hungry look that overtook all of his features. Always one to dress for an occasion Buffy had managed to somehow squeeze in to a pair of skin tight red jeans with a pair of impossibly high black heeled boots tucked nicely beneath them. Her black tank top was covered by a leopard print scarf wrapped in a stylishly loose knot around her neck and all of it was pulled together by the leather jacket her had bought her.

"Don't think like covers it, lamb." He said as he continued to move his eyes over her form.

Buffy smiled as a slight blush rose to her cheeks and she quickly pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I didn't even see you guys come in, I thought you were going to be late to your own show."

Spike rolled his eyes as he leaned against the wall behind him. "Today was hell," he said, "the interview turned in to a full blown contest for a meet and greet that we weren't supposed to have but the label insisted on it."

"Wow." Buffy commented.

"Yeah, then we got thrown in to some photo shoot," he said, "and to top it all off they sent a rep from the label to watch us. We've all got to play babysitter and entertain this woman all night."

"Come on," Buffy said giving him a quick hit to the chest, "she can't be that bad."

"You have no idea." He said with a shake of his head. It didn't go unnoticed by Buffy when his eyes turned toward what they could see of the stage and she saw the way his body tensed as he took in the sight he saw there. She heard him sigh before he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly against his chest. "Sorry, luv, but I've got to get back there before she figures out that I'm not actually in the john."

Buffy laughed softly as she wrapped her own arms around his midsection. "Don't want teacher to realize you actually snuck out to see your honey?"

Spike chuckled. "Something like that." He pulled away slightly and, after running a hand over her perfectly bouncing blonde hair, looked her in the eyes. "Wait for me at the bar after the show, we'll go grab some grub and head back to the real party."

Just to show his point he grabbed a handful of her ass through her jeans, eliciting a surprised squeak from her lips before she playfully pushed him away. "Get back to work." She said as he grabbed a hold of her wrist and pulled her back to him. He gave her one last quick kiss before rushing back to the green room.

The moment he was gone she noticed the hallway get brighter and she turned to see Chris poking his head in through the curtain. "Is it cool to come back here now?"

Buffy laughed as she nodded at the man. "Yes, Chris, you're fine."

Chris' eyebrows raised in an innocent way as he rushed past her with one of the large bins in his hands. "Didn't want to interrupt the suck-face-a-thon."

"We were not sucking face!" Buffy said as she made her way through the curtain.

"Not what I heard!" Chris called back before making a loud slurping sound.

Buffy just laughed as she went to join Amy over at the bar. She spared a single glance toward the stage and immediately noticed the woman with curly brown hair staring in her direction, a look that could kill in her eyes as she followed her body with her eyes. With a shake of her head Buffy turned her attention back to the bar and quickly found Amy.

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Buffy had been sitting over at the bar for about an hour now. Amy had run off with some random guy a good ten minutes ago and she could just barely make her out near the back of the crowd, dancing proudly with her piece of arm candy for the night. Chris had gotten involved in a very serious game of Kings that the other roadies had started and Buffy had just been happy watching her boyfriend tear up the stage.

This venue was a bit bigger than some of the others and she knew that he couldn't see her from the stage but that didn't stop her from ogling him. He had decided to go with a more Sid Vicious look tonight with his hair spiked up on all sides and a thick, studded belt decorating his black pants that had been completely destroyed at the knees by a few too many power slides. He had a white, loose fitting t-shirt covered by a black leather jacket rolled up to his elbows. Despite the sweat that was practically drenching his face he was moving all over the stage, engaging the audience, and even crowd surfing at one point. The only thing that got her attention off of the amazing creature gracing the stage was none other than Darla Benz.

"Hey, good looking!" She exclaimed as she threw herself on to the stool next to her. "Let me buy you a drink!"

Buffy laughed as Darla made as big a scene as she could out of buying them each their drink of choice. The two had become rather close within the past week and the more they hung out, the more they got along. Every night that Passions was on stage the two would hang out and just have a genuinely good time together. Andrew would find his way out every now and again but would soon run off to play something or another on his multiple gaming systems and that was the last anyone would see of him until 'dinner'. Buffy enjoyed the new found friendship she had developed with Darla, every girl needs another chick to talk to when she's surrounded by men, and she actually felt guilty about having not trusted her from the start.

"So did you meet Cecily?" Darla asked as she handed Buffy the drink she'd ordered.

"Cecily?" Buffy asked.

Darla's eyes widened. "Spike didn't tell you?"

Buffy cocked her head to the side as she took a sip from her glass. "Not about anyone named Cecily."

Darla made a quick glance toward the stage and Buffy could see from the look on her face that she was conflicted with some inner decision. After a few seconds she sighed and shook her head. "Oh, what the hell? I've already dug myself a hole, right? Cecily is the brunette chick over there with curly hair and a bad attitude problem. She's standing on the side of the stage, red top and jeans."

Buffy glanced up at the stage and quickly identified the woman from earlier as the same one Darla was telling her about. "I saw her earlier, she was glaring at me from across the room."

Darla scoffed. "Makes sense, she's the rep the label sent out tonight." Darla explained as she took a gulp of her own drink. "She also happens to be Spike's ex."

Buffy whirled back around and looked at the woman, her blood suddenly running cold with a feeling she couldn't quite pin down. She felt the adrenaline rush through her and suddenly had a sickening feeling grow in her stomach. "He didn't mention that." She said tightly.

"I wouldn't really expect him to," Darla said, "he can't stand the girl. She's constantly trying to get back together with him and completely credits herself for their fame, apparently talent has absolutely nothing to do with it."

"What does she do for them?" Buffy asked.

"Creative consultant." Darla answered. "She basically picks out album covers and books photo shoots and stuff like that."

_'Then we got thrown in to some photo shoot.'_

Buffy felt her heart skip a beat as she remembered his words from earlier that night. "So she was with them all day today?"

"Probably," Darla answered, "she always tries to shove herself in to their publicity shit. Anya absolutely hates her for it. Actually, everyone hates her. Even Bob hates her."

Buffy took her time looking the girl over from her safe spot at the back of the venue. She was a small girl, probably the same size as Buffy, but that was as far as similarities went. Her hair was medium length, curly, and a dark brown color. She had large eyes and, honestly, an ass that she would kill for in the jeans she was wearing.

"She's... cute."

"Yeah," Darla said sarcastically, "that's about all she has going for her. The only reason Spike dated her was because of the ties she had to the label and... I should stop talking now."

Buffy couldn't help but inspect the way that this Cecily girl was watching the band. She had an almost smug look on her face as she watched Spike flaunt around the stage like the rockstar he was. Her smile grew when she turned to look at the crowd and judge their reaction. Buffy knew it was impossible but it almost seemed as though she was smirking at her in a way that would make her own boyfriend jealous. Unable to take anymore analyzing of the scene in front of her without risking losing her calm, Buffy turned back around and returned her attention to her drink.

Darla watched as Buffy downed the liquid courage in just a few large gulps before pushing the glass away from her and ordering another. She could tell that she was upset and couldn't help but think that it was her fault. On one hand she should have kept her mouth shut, but on the other hand Buffy did have a right to know. This conversation had been doomed from the very start, Darla had just been the catalyst to make it happen sooner.

"Buff," Darla said as she put a hand on her friend's shoulder, "are you okay?" Buffy didn't answer, she merely took the drink from the bartender and began to quickly suck it down. "Do you want to get out of here? There's a nice bar right down the street we could-"

Buffy slammed her now empty glass down on the counter. "Let's go."

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"Thank you, Philadelphia! We'll see you tomorrow night!"

Spike ran off of the stage and quickly took the small towel that was handed to him. He wiped the sweat off of his face before taking his shirt off and quickly throwing another one over his shoulder. They had about ten minutes before the kids that had won the meet and greet would be ushered back and all Spike wanted to do was change. He quickly rushed in to the green room and grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge as he began to unbutton his pants.

"Don't you think you should buy me dinner first?"

Spike spun around quickly and was more than a little bit surprised to see Cecily sitting on the long leather couch on the opposite side of the room. He buttoned his pants back up with lightening speed before throwing on the clean shirt he had acquired. "What are you doing in here?"

"Just writing up my report." She said as she motioned toward a clipboard sitting to her left. "I noticed your merchandise booth was moving a bit slow, can you shed any light on that?"

Spike glared at the woman sitting across from him. "Don't start this."

Cecily gave him her best look of faux innocence. "Start what?"

Spike tore the lid off of his water bottle and threw it in to the trash can. "You know what I'm talking about."

Cecily's smile grew sinister as she took in his obviously anger. "So it is true, you did hire your hussy."

"I'm warning you, Ces," Spike said slowly, "you watch your mouth or so help me-"

"You'll what?" Cecily asked. "You already have more than a few black marks against you, Spike. One bad word from me and I can make all of this go away, no more band, no more touring, nothing."

"You wouldn't." He growled.

"Try me."

Spike sighed as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall behind him. "What do you want, Cecily?"

She stood slowly from the couch and began a leisurely walk over to him. "Isn't that obvious?"

"What happened between us was a long time ago," Spike said with aggravation obvious in his voice, "it's over and you need to sodding get over it."

"Oh, come on Spike." She said softly. "That little spark never goes away." Spike watched as her hands move to lay gently against his chest as her fingers fiddled with the bullet at the end of the chain around his neck. "I'm the one who made you, you wouldn't be anything without me."

"Cecily." Spike whispered as he leaned his head down closer to hers.

"Remember all the fun we used to have, the things we used to do?" His hand found the back of her neck and he pulled her closer, his lips finding her ear as her eyes fluttered shut.

"I've got to tell you something, Ces," he whispered in her ear as the butterflies in her stomach threatened to overtake her, "you make me sick." The hand that had been sweetly placed behind her neck quickly grabbed the back of her hair as he firmly, yet not violently, pulled her away from him and made his way over to the green room door.

"What?" Cecily asked in obvious shock.

"And for the record," Spike said as he completely ignored her question, "I would never hit a woman, but Darla would. You ever talk about my girl again and I'll stop holding her back. Dog will hunt."

"When did you become such a fucking ass hole?" Cecily yelled, still standing in the same exact spot.

"I've always been bad, baby, and you had nothing to do with it."

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"But why wouldn't he tell me something like that?" Buffy asked as she downed yet another drink. She and Darla had been at Central, a popular bar with strong drinks and good music, for over and hour now and the two had each had more than a few. Buffy's words had begun to slur about two and a half fuzzy navels back and Darla was to the point where she couldn't feel her fingers.

"Maybe he didn't want you to worry," Darla said, "she's really no big deal. Shows up to a couple gigs here and there and then disappears until the next time we're in town."

"But he lied, Dar."

"No!" Darla said as she pointed a finger in Buffy's face. "He omitted the truth, not the same."

"You know it's funny," Buffy said with a laugh, "there was a time when I really thought you were the one I'd have to worry about being my competition."

"I know!" Darla exclaimed. "What was up with that?"

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know. You guys had dated before and I mean, look at you, you're freaking gorgeous and have legs like a gazelle. You're so... so graceful."

"I'm also gay!"

Buffy's glassy eyes widened. "No way."

"I swear to God." Darla said as she raised a hand. "Queer as a three dollar bill."

"Oh, my God!" Buffy said excitedly. "I had no idea!"

"Most people don't." Darla said as she finished her drink and ordered two more. "Spike and me, we joke all the time about me stealing you."

Buffy's laugh was much stronger than the particular joke needed and she could feel the heat coming off of her face. "At least you know I like blondes."

"That's part of the joke!"

Both girls laughed and continued to carry on as two new drinks were sat in front of them. They began to work on draining them when two shots were handed to them by the bartender. Buffy looked down in confusion at the swirling clear liquid in the tiny glasses. "We didn't order these." She said in a way that she thought was quiet.

"Those gentlemen down there did, miss." The bartender said.

Darla and Buffy glanced down to where the bartender had pointed their attention and saw two attractive men looking back down at them. Buffy watched as Darla gave a cute wave before quickly taking the shot. "What are you doing?" She asked as she grabbed Darla's arm. "You're not interested in them, you're a lesbian."

"Yeah," Darla said as she grabbed the one meant for Buffy, "but it's rude not to accept presents."

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The meet and greet went by quickly but, despite his best efforts, Spike definitely was not himself. He had let Cecily work him up, yet again, and he hated himself for it. He walked out to the main bar of the venue and was surprised when he saw that only Amy and Chris sitting there.

"Hey Spike." Chris said as he made his way over to them.

"You guys seen Buffy?" He asked.

"We were about to ask you the same question." Amy said as she turned to face him.

Spike's brows furrowed as he looked down at the girl. "What do you mean?"

"She never came back after break." Chris answered.

"We just figured she went somewhere with you." Amy chimed in.

"No one's seen her since our set?" Spike asked.

"No," Amy answered, "the last I saw she was sitting over here getting drinks with Darla."

"Yeah," Chris said, "I saw them walk out together during Time and Again."

Spike took out his cell phone and typed in her name. The phone rang four times before the call went to her voicemail. He pushed the end button and quickly redialed her number only to find the same thing happen all over again. He typed a short text message that simply read 'call me' before shoving his hands in to the pockets of his jacket and making his way out of the venue.

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**Next chapter is DRAMA. DRAMA. DRAMA.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Maryland has the weirdest weather lately. First we get that shutter that they called an earthquake, a few days later we've got a hurricane on our hands, and today came with a series of torrential downpours that flooded my road and stopped me from going to class. This is good news for you guys because it means another chapter but I'm over here like, "Damn nature! You scary!"**

**Also, drunk Buffy is so much fun to write. **

**That is all.**

**000000000000000000000000000**

Chapter 24.

Spike walked down the street glancing around for anywhere that Buffy and Darla could have ended up. So far he had been inside three restaurants, multiple clothing stores, a cupcake shop, and even the nearest McDonalds and had come out empty handed every time. He pulled the phone from his jacket pocket and dialed her number again the same way that he had been doing every twenty minutes since he started his search. When it went to her voicemail again he hung up and decided to try a different route.

"Hello?" Oz's voice said through the speaker.

"Have you seen Buffy or Darla?" He asked instantly.

"No," Oz answered with a tone of confusion, "why? Is everything okay?"

Spike let out a disappointed sigh. "I don't know, just let me know if you hear from them."

"Sure thing." Oz said automatically.

"Thanks, mate."

As Spike hung up the phone he felt the feeling of complete helplessness take over him. This city was huge and Buffy wasn't exactly the greatest at reading a map. She was with Darla, or at least had been the last time that anyone had seen her, but that did little to calm his nerves. He took a deep breath, releasing it slowly as he ran a hand through his hair and looked around at his surroundings.

He had no idea what to do.

His phone rang loudly from his pocket and with almost superhuman speed he pulled it from it's dwelling and held it to his ear. "Buff?"

"No," a male voice said from the opposite end, "Oz. I went on Glory Wire's facebook and some dude is posting pictures of him with Darla and Buffy. He says they're at some club called Central."

Without letting his friend finish the sentence Spike hung up the phone and quickly hailed a cab. It took only minutes to catch one at this time of night and the moment the cab stopped Spike was at the door. "Where to?" The driver asked."

"Take me to Central."

Without question the cabby turned on his blinker and they were off. For once in his life Spike thanked God for social networking.

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"So I told her, I said 'yeah, I did it.' All of a sudden, BAM!" Darla said as she clapped her hands together for emphasis as she explained in full detail the fight that had ended her last band to the guys sitting next to her. "She came running at me like a bat out of hell, screeching like a banshee. She apparently had no idea that my guitar was next to me so you can imagine her surprise when I swatted her away with it like a tennis ball."

"Oooh!" The three guys said in unison.

"Yeah," Darla said with a proud smile as she took a sip of her drink, "so obviously the band was done after that. Moral of the story here, boys, is never so bad things to people who have nude pictures of you. They will end up all over the internet."

The boys had randomly came and sat next to them quite some time ago and recognized Darla instantly. The insisted that they be allowed to buy her a drink and when she explained to them who Buffy was the two had secured their source of free drinks for the rest of the night.

"I'm so glad we didn't win those concert tickets." The first guy, a brunette with shaggy hair and a green shirt, said happily.

"Why's that?" Darla asked as she leaned flirtatiously against the bar.

"We would have just been watching at the show," the guys sitting next to her with blonde hair and a lip ring said, "this is so much better!"

"Fuck yeah!" The third guy, a slightly heavier guy that Buffy was certain had been referred to as Chubs, yelled as he downed the rest of his current beer. "And not only you, Darla, but Spike Pratt's girlfriend!"

"She has a name, fat ass." Darla said with a laugh that made it sound like she and Chubs were old friends.

Buffy laughed as she put a woozy hand on Darla's shoulder. "It's fine, Dar, I get that who I'm dating is my claim to fame."

"No!" Darla yelled. "No, no, no! You are more than just that prick's girlfriend, it's cool, I can call him that, but you're Buffy! Buffy is wonderful, and pretty, and brilliant! Brilliant Buffy!"

"BRILLIANT BUFFY!" The three guys yelled as they held up their glasses to her in a drunken salute.

Darla finished her drink in one quick gulp before slamming her glass back down on the table and turning her attention back to the larger of the three gentlemen. "Now I insist, Chubs, that you buy Brilliant Buffy a drink as an apology for your... indiscretion."

"She's had enough."

All five intoxicated heads turned to see who the new voice to the conversation was and all were very surprised to see Spike standing there, hands folded over his chest, looking like a force to be reckoned with. To any person in their right mind it was obvious that he was pissed, but due to the beer goggles that Buffy was currently wearing she had no idea.

"Spike!" She said happily as she attempted to get herself off of the bar stool. She held on to the top of it for support as her heels found their footing on the ground below her. When she thought she was safe she straightened herself up, released the stool, and turned to face him. "How was your sh-"

Buffy's question remained unasked as she took a step forward and immediately lost her balance. Her ankle rolled and her knees began to buckle as she started her rapid descent to the floor. Spike's hands shout out instantly and found her upper arms. He helped her back to a standing position before pulling her to him and throwing a supportive arm around her waist.

"Oops." She said through an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

Spike quickly looked her over and had no problem telling that she was as close to wasted as he had ever seen her. Her cheeks were pink and her eyes were glassy. Her body was much warmer than usual and he could smell the alcohol on her breath with every word she spoke.

Spike sighed as he pushed a stray section of hair out of her face. "Come on, luv, let's get you out of here."

"Why?" Buffy asked with a pout. "I don't want to leave. You have to meet my friends green shirt, blonde, and Chubs."

Spike ignored her as he turned back to the four drunkards still sitting at the bar. "Hand me her jacket."

"Here you go!" Darla sang as she tossed it over her shoulder.

Spike caught it with ease and quickly helped Buffy tuck herself in to it before turning back to Darla. "You gonna be alright or should I call you a cab?"

"I'll be fine." Darla answered as she threw we arm around blonde. "I'm sure these lovely gentlemen will happily hail me a cab when I'm ready to go home."

Spike nodded, he knew Darla could take care of herself. "Right."

"Bye Brilliant Buffy!" Darla yelled as she waved at her from her seat.

"BRILLIANT BUFFY!"

Buffy smiled and waved goodbye as Spike began to lead her away. It was obvious that if he let her try and walk on her own that she would definitely fall so he made sure to keep his arm wrapped snugly around her waist at all times. He felt her shiver slightly as they walked out of the front doors of the club and began walking down the sidewalk. He thought briefly about calling a cab, they were about three streets away from the venue and it was rather cold out, but he didn't want to risk some driver wanting to make a few bucks running off to the local gossip mag and spilling all the drunk Buffy dirty details.

"I thought you had a show tonight." Buffy slurred from his side.

"Gig ended over two hours ago." Spike answered shortly.

"What about the meet and greet?" Buffy asked. "Won't _Cecily _be upset that you skipped out on it? Why did I wear these shoes?"

Without any warning whatsoever Buffy pulled herself from his hold and sat herself on the sidewalk. She pulled her knees to her chest and began pressing her fingers against the toes that she could feel inside. Spike's hands found his hips as he briefly turned his gaze to the sky above him. He shook his head and let out a sigh before looking back down at her.

"Time to get up, luv." He said as calmly as he could.

"Why?" She asked as she continued to mess with her shoes.

"Because you're sitting on the sidewalk." He said as he closed his eyes and tried to push down the annoyance in his voice.

"So?"

He clenched his fist as she continued to damage his calm. "It's for walking, not playing with your feet."

"But they hurt," she said as she laid back on the ground, "I don't want to walk."

"Oh, bloody hell."

He quickly reached down and pulled her to her feet like the whining child she was behaving like. He threw her arm around his neck as he bent slightly to throw one arm behind her knees and another behind her back. He picked her up with ease and began to carry her bridal style down the sidewalk. He rolled his eyes when he heard her quiet "whee" and continued to walk back to the venue with long strides. Within about ten minutes they were back at the venue and only then did Buffy notice that something was a bit off.

"Aren't we going back to the hotel?" She asked as she noticed that he was taking them bee-line toward the bus.

"No." He answered shortly.

"Why not?" Buffy asked. "I don't want to sleep on the bus."

"Neither do I, pet." He said honestly.

"Well let's go back to the hotel." She said as he set her back down on the floor to unlock the bus door.

"You're too drunk to go to the hotel." Spike said as he swung the door open. When Spike didn't hear her protest he looked over his shoulder and saw her staring fixedly toward the front wheel of the bus. "Buff, you alright?"

"I think I'm gonna-" her sentence was cut off when she sunk to the floor on her hands and knees and promptly began to vomit.

Spike took no time in getting behind her and pulling her hair away from her face. As another round of puke made its way from her mouth he began to rub slow circles on the small of her back. A third and final round of heaving seemed to be the end of it and Spike instantly offered her the bandanna that had been stylishly hanging from his back pocket. She wiped the left over stomach acid from her mouth before folding it in half, twice, and dabbing gently at her eyes with it.

"You alright, luv?" Spike asked.

She nodded and slowly began to rise to her feet. Spike let one hand find her elbow and was full prepared to grab her should she still need the support. Surprisingly the releasing of poison all over the parking lot had seemed to sober her up quite a bit and she managed to make her way over to the door to the bus and up the steps without any help from him. The first place she went was the small bathroom toward the back of the hotel on wheels and from the sounds she was making Spike could tell that she was brushing her teeth. He quickly found her a pair of sweat pants and one of his old t-shirts that he had given her and made his way over to the door. He knocked gently and was surprised by how quickly she managed to open the folding bathroom door. He handed her the clothes and she gave him a quick, sad smile before closing the door and continuing to go about her business.

Spike moved over to the bunk and made quick work of pulling the covers back and stealing the good pillow back from Bob's bunk for her. By the time he had turned the bed down she was back and took no time climbing in. Spike took his turn in the bathroom and by the time he was finished Buffy was sound asleep. He grabbed the spare blanket and pillow from the small closet beside the bunks and made his way in to the living room. He threw the pillow on to the couch and proceeded to send a quick 'found her' text to Oz before laying down on the couch and making himself comfortable.

For the first night since the tour had started Spike chose to sleep alone.

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Buffy awoke the next morning hardly remembering the night before. As she sat up and the headache she should have expected hit her like a Mack truck, everything slowly but surely began to come back to her. She remembered going to the club with Darla, meeting the guys, and even when Spike had showed up. She rested her head in her hands as she slowly began to realize exactly how much of an ass she had probably made of herself on the walk home. She rarely ever got drunk and had definitely never gotten that out of control.

She looked at the vacant spot on the bunk beside her with a mixture of understanding and sadness swirling in her stomach. She couldn't really blame him, she had been a wasted mess. Who in their right mind would want to share a tiny bunk with someone who had drank their body weight in alcohol? The longer she sat there the sicker the smell of booze that lingered on her skin and in her hair was making her and she quickly made the decision to hop in the shower.

She grabbed a couple of towels and made her way to the bus bathroom. The shower was a small, oddly shaped thing that took up half of the small room and Buffy absolutely hated it. One of the worst things in the world was trying to shave your legs in a shower that anyone would have an issue even fitting in but it was something she would just have to deal with. She quickly washed her hair and took care of her other necessary business before turning the water off and toweling herself dry. She threw her hair in to a ponytail, put on a pair of jeans and a black tank top, and quietly made her way out to the main area of the bus.

She saw the back of his head first. He was still lounging out on the couch, wearing nothing but a pair of black jeans, and watching some random cartoon on the television. Normally he would have turned around and acknowledged her presence, said good morning and given her a quick kiss, but he usually would have shared a bed with her, too. Using her better judgment she stopped in the kitchen and proceeded to find herself some sort of breakfast food. After about a minute of looking through the cabinet they shared together she decided on a bowl of Captain Crunch and went about grabbing a bowl and the box of cereal. When she turned to get the milk she ran in to something that she thought wouldn't be there, and that something was Spike.

"We need to talk." He said quietly, the seriousness of the situation more than obvious in his voice.

"Can't we just skip it?" Buffy asked as she stepped around him, eyes downcast, and walked over to the fridge to get her milk.

"No, Buff, we can't." He answered.

Buffy could feel the vibrations the floor carried from his footsteps and she knew that he wasn't just going to let this go. She put the milk back in to the fridge and turned to face him. "Alright," she said as she crossed her arms over her chest in a protective motion, "let's talk."

"What the fuck were you thinking Buffy?" Spike asked in the same serious tone.

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know."

"Oh, bollocks." Spike said angrily. "I know you, Buff, and I know that you don't get like that. You don't walk out on your job without telling anyone where your going to get piss drunk at some club. I was worried sick about you, no one had any sodding clue where you two birds were."

"You should have called me."

"Should have called you?" Spike asked as he quickly made his way back to the bunk. Buffy barely had time to wonder what he was doing before he was back and holding her phone. He held it out to her and Buffy quickly took it and effortlessly entered her security pin. The screen was lit up with the words 'Seven Missed Calls' and the tiny corner LED light was flashing bright red.

"So that's the problem?" Buffy asked as she felt her anger rise. "You're mad because I left?"

"Fucking right, I am!" Spike yelled. "You know how we found you two? Fucking facebook! Those three gits you were with spent their entire night uploading pictures of all of you on to the internet. Oh, and they were great ones, too. Saw a couple of you with your arms around a couple of them."

"Oh, like you have room to talk!" Buffy yelled back.

"Yeah, I do."

"What about Cecily?" Buffy shot out quickly.

The sound of her name coming from Buffy's lips shocked him enough to momentarily cease his anger. "Cecily has nothing to do with this."

"Actually, she has pretty much everything to do with this." Buffy answered. "It was weird, Darla asked me if I had met this girl and I had no idea what she was talking about. When she told me that she was the chick from the label you guys had been hanging around with all day I was a little surprised. I actually wondered for a second why you didn't tell me about her, but when I found out she was your ex it kind of made sense."

"Darla told you?" Spike asked, his voice taking on a dangerous edge.

"Well, someone had to." Buffy said as she put her hands on her hips. "Did you have fun, Spike? Did you like hanging out with an old flame?"

"Oh, pot meet kettle!" Spike yelled. "In case you've forgotten, darling, I have a lawsuit pending because of your sodding ex!"

"Yeah, well at least I don't hang out with him behind your back." Buffy turned her back to him, attempting to leave the conversation as it lie, but Spike had other plans.

"Jealous, are you?"

Buffy looked over her shoulder and when she saw the character smirk plastered firmly on his face she couldn't stop herself from turning back around to face him as she felt her anger rise. "You are such a fucking prick."

Spike let out a bitter chuckle. "Yeah, well, about time you figure that out."

"I never should have come on this god damned tour with you." She spat.

"Funny, I was just thinking the same thing."

Buffy felt a pang at her heart as his words sank in. She felt the tears form in her eyes but absolutely refused to let them fall. "Well you won't have to worry about me anymore," she said quietly, "after the show tomorrow I'm leaving. You'll never have to deal with me again."

Buffy quickly stormed past him and through the living room. She yanked the necklace from around her neck and quickly pulled the ring from her finger. She grabbed her leather jacket, shoved the jewelry in to one of the pockets, and violently threw it in Spike's direction.

"Keep the fucking jacket."

Spike watched as Buffy pushed through the bus doors and made her way in to the cold morning air with nothing but a tank top on. In a sudden burst of violent rage he grabbed the bowl she had gotten for her cereal and threw it across the room with all of his might. It exploded in to a million tiny glass pieces that quickly fell to the ground as Spike grabbed his smokes and moved toward the back exit of the bus.

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Darla stumbled out of the large bed in her suite and moved toward the door. The consistent banging had been rattling the thing for a good minute now so Darla's original plan of ignoring it until it went away was completely blown out of the water. She glanced over to the fold out couch against the opposite wall, green shirt was still sleeping soundly and showed no sign of stirring. She shook her head as another round of knocking came from the door and began to walk toward it slowly.

"I'm coming!" Darla called as she threw a robe over her bright red bra and underwear set. She opened the door and a look of complete surprise took over her face. "Buffy?"

"I'm sorry," she said in a near whisper, "I didn't know where else to go."

Darla looked down and quickly noticed one of Buffy's suitcases sitting next to her feet on the floor. As she looked back up to her friend's face she saw the tear stains running down her cheeks and noticed that she didn't even have a real shirt on. Darla opened the door a bit wider and stood off to the side. "Come in."

Buffy grabbed the handle of her suitcase and quickly made her way in to the room. She glanced over at the fold out before looking back at Darla with a raised eyebrow and a question on her lips. "Um, Darla..."

"What?" Darla asked as she reentered the room. Her eyes darted to where Buffy had been looking and gave a somewhat startled jump. "Oh, no, God no." She said as she walked over to green shirt. "Hey!" She said loudly as she began to shake his shoulder. "It's time for you to go now."

Green shirt opened his eyes and looked drowsily around with unfocused eyes. He briefly glanced up at both of them before rolling himself off of the pull out and shuffling his way out of the room. As the sound of the lock clicking behind him hit her ears Buffy turned back towards Darla. "What was that about?"

"Green shirt?" Darla asked unnecessarily. "It was nothing. We went halves on the cab ride home. He thought he was going to get some, but he didn't. Now what's up with the tears and the baggage?"

Buffy took a deep breath, releasing it slowly as she raised a hand to her temple in an attempt to chase away her headache. "I'm leaving."

Darla's eyes narrowed as he head tilted to the side. "What do you mean leaving?"

"I mean I'm going home."

"What?" Darla asked in shock. "Why? I thought you were having fun."

"Well apparently I'm not wanted here."

"Buffy," Darla said as she took a step toward her and pulled her to sit down on the fold out, "what are you talking about?"

Buffy told Darla what had happened in perfect detail. She told her that they had gotten in to a fight, what Spike had said, and what she had decided. By the time she was finished with the story the newly formed tears had fled from her eyes and were freely falling down her face. Darla threw her arms around the now crying girl sitting on the couch next to her and began to gently rock her back and forth.

"You know he didn't mean it." Darla said reassuringly.

"You weren't there," Buffy said through her tears, "you didn't see his face when he said it."

"He was upset," Darla said, "people say a lot of stupid things when they're upset. Spike's a stupid person by nature so when he gets going his idiot levels go through the roof."

Buffy pulled away from the supportive embrace and quickly dabbed at her eyes with her wrist. "I called the airport and managed to get myself a ticket, my flight leaves tomorrow morning." Darla didn't say anything as she put a hand on Buffy's knee. "Would you mind if I stayed with you tonight? I don't really want to stay by myself on that bus again."

"Of course." Darla answered automatically. "Are you sure you want to leave, though?"

Buffy nodded. "I already got all of my stuff out of the room, there's just a few things that I need to get off of the bus. I'm not going to stay where I'm not wanted."

"Well, I want you." Darla said. "Not like in a sexual way, unless you've suddenly been flipped, but tour isn't going to be nearly as fun without you."

Buffy sighed as she pulled Darla back to her for another hug, this was going to be a lot harder than she thought.

"I'm sorry."

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Spike flung the back door to the bus open and quickly jumped off of the raised platform. His cigarette was at his lips before he hit the ground and he quickly lit up and pulled a large breath of the toxins in to his mouth and lungs before releasing it slowly.

"I'm the prick?" He muttered to himself as he took another puff. "She runs off in the middle of the night and I'm the prick? Stupid bitch, gonna get herself killed, she is."

He paced back and forth for a few minutes as he angrily smoked his cigarette and let the conversation play over in his head. He hadn't been looking for a fight but of course he had found one in the fiery chick with the forest green eyes. He had given her a verbal lashing, that was true, but she had done the exact same to him.

"She wants to leave?" He threw his finished cigarette to the ground and automatically lit up another. "Let her sodding leave. Let her prove all those gits right, see if I care."

As he continued to pace back and forth outside of the bus he felt the anger leaving his body as a rush of sadness took its place. A sudden pang of guilt beat in his heart as he remembered her face as he had basically kicked her off of the tour. He could tell he had hurt her with what he said, if he was honest with himself he would admit that the only reason he'd said it to begin with was to get a rise out of her, but she had hurt him, too. She had ran off with Darla, drank enough to tranquilize and elephant, and then had the audacity to start a fight with him.

A sudden flash of anger found him punching the brick wall next to him with all of his might. He hardly felt it when his knuckles popped but quickly pulled his hand back to look over the damage. The skin on all four of his knuckles had torn open and bright red blood was already dripping down his hand. He hissed as the pain finally registered and silently cursed toward the sky before jumping back in to the bus and looking for a first aid kit.

Both he and Buffy had been completely oblivious to the pair of watching eyes from the tour bus next to them. They may not have noticed her there but Glory had seen and heard everything that had happened that morning. She had heard them come in the night before and had picked up on bits and pieces of the argument this morning. She had seen Buffy storm off of the bus and had front row seats the show Spike had just put on.

She wasn't exactly sure why but, quite frankly, it had broken her heart.

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Hours had passed since Buffy had found her way to Darla's room and the girls had spent the entire time together. Darla couldn't help but feel a little guilty about the entire situation, if she had never said anything about Cecily they never would have ended up at the bar and there never would have been a fight between her two friends. When she had mentioned this Buffy made quick work of telling her that it wasn't her fault and that no matter what the two of them would remain friends.

Buffy had taken another shower to wash away the tears but it had done nothing to mend the hole she felt was in her heart. The last thing that she wanted to do was go to the show that night but she knew that it was unavoidable. She didn't want to just walk away from Amy and Chris without saying goodbye and she still had to collect the rest of her things from the bus. She put on what Xander had once called her 'tips face' and quickly got ready for the show.

Buffy and Darla had decided to take a cab back to the venue and they could tell from the looks that the bouncers at the doors were giving them that they could tell something was amiss. When Buffy walked in to the venue wearing a simple outfit comprised of a pair of black straight legged jeans with a dark purple top and a pair of boots she seemed fine, but the moment she saw Chris and Amy working on their table the mask she had created quickly fell from her face.

"Hey guys." She said as she reached them. The butterflies were fluttering uncontrollably in her stomach as she waited for them to respond.

"Hey, you." Amy said with a smile.

"Seems like someone had a pretty fun time last night." Chris said with a raised eyebrow and a laugh in his voice. Buffy gave them a half attempt at a smile and watched as both of their faces fell. "You alright?"

"Yeah, you're not looking so hot." Amy said.

Buffy sighed. "Listen guys, I don't really know how to say this so I'm just going to come out with it. I'm leaving."

Chris' eyebrows rose and Amy's jaw dropped. "Define leaving."

"Leaving as in going home." Buffy clarified.

"Why?" Amy asked.

"If it's because of what happened last night trust me when I tell you that it was no big deal." Chris said quickly.

"Yeah, Chris went on a bender two years ago and nobody knew where he was for like three days in Vegas. It happens, we get over it, life goes on." Amy said.

"It's not about that." Buffy said shortly.

"Well what happened?" Amy asked.

"Things just aren't working out here." Buffy said with a slight crack in her voice as she felt the tears well up in her eyes again.

Amy and Chris didn't ask any more questions, they both kind of figured out what was going on all on their own and the last thing that they wanted to do was upset her more. With an excuse about needing to get the rest of her stuff packed up and a few final hugs goodbye, Buffy left the table and made her way backstage. It took her only moments to find Darla and the two quickly made their way out of the venue and headed toward the Passions bus. They packed up the rest of Buffy's things at a leisurely pace before heading over to the Glory Wire bus.

"Jesus Christ, your shit weighs a ton." Darla complained as she lugged one of Buffy's bags up the steps.

"I'm vein, what can I say?" Buffy asked as she followed behind her in the same fashion. Darla led her over to one of the bunks and, with much difficulty, managed to lift the bag she had been carrying on to the bed before reaching over and helping Buffy with hers.

"Those can stay there until the cab comes to get us." Darla said. "We'll pay the guy a few extra bucks and get him to load them in to the car."

Buffy nodded but didn't say a word as she pretended to look around the bus. It was very much like the one Passions road around in but there were definitely some differences. Their kitchen was slightly bigger and Buffy could see what she would refer to as a master bedroom all the way in the back that she naturally assumed was for Glory. "Nice place."

"It's alright." Darla said with a shrug before looking back at Buffy. "Are you okay?"

"I hate that question," Buffy said as her voice came at a few octaves higher and a single tear broke free from the confines of her eye, "it always makes you cry."

Darla's face fell as she watched the girl lower her face in to her hands and begin to cry for what had to be the tenth time that day. Buffy was trying her best to be strong, Darla gave her that, but she knew that the poor girl's heart was breaking on the inside and it was proving to be almost as painful for her. "Come on, sweetie," Darla said as she wrapped her arms around her and gently caressed the back of her head, "it's going to be okay."

"I know," Buffy said in to her shoulder, "it just hurts. I stopped my entire life to come on this tour and it ended exactly the way everyone said it would."

"You know what," Darla said as she put a hand on either one of Buffy's cheeks and raised her face to meet her eyes, "fuck him. There's free drinks in the green room. I say we give you a proper send off and let him watch you have fun on your last night here."

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Spike walked in through the back door of the venue dressed fully in black, hair stuck up in a perfect mess, and dark sunglasses hiding his eyes. He hardly registered the camera flashes as he walked through the door and, honestly, he couldn't have cared less at the moment. As he walked through the backstage area he felt as if all eyes were on him and made a point of purposefully ignoring anyone who tried to approach him. He was caught off of his guard, however, when he opened the door to the green room and saw both her and Darla sitting there.

She had a glass of champagne in her hand but it was obvious that she wasn't drinking it. She looked absolutely stunning as she sat across the room from him on the fluffy black couch and he felt his heart speed up as she noticed his presence. He watched as she turned her head toward him, a ghost of a smile on her face until her eyes found his. He frowned slightly as she quickly turned away and sat her glass down on the table next to her and rose to her feet.

"I think I'm gonna-"

"Buffy-" he started.

"No." She said as she took a few steps toward him and made a conscious effort of casting her eyes anywhere but on him. He watched as she carefully sidestepped him and quickly made her way to the door. "It's your green room. I'm leaving."

"Buff, wait!" The sound of the door clicking shut was his only response. He stared at it for a minute and silently prayed that it would open and that she would walk back through it again but knew it was to no avail. After a few moments of pointless waiting he turned his focus back to Darla who sat glaring at him from her seat on the couch. "What?"

"You're a fucking idiot."

"I'm a what?" He asked as she put his hands on his hips and leaned forward just slightly.

"You, William Pratt, are a fucking idiot." Darla said slowly.

Spike scoffed as he turned towards the door. "I don't need to take this from you."

Darla shot with lightening speed across the room and promptly put her body between him and his way out. "Now you listen to me, Spike, you hurt that girl more than anything I have ever seen and you need to make it right."

"Oh, shut your gob Darla." Spike said angrily. "None of this would have happened if you hadn't gotten involved."

"Did you really expect me to sit back and twiddle my thumbs?" Darla asked. "You know I have no filter."

"That's becoming more and more obvious by the bloody second."

"She's my friend, Spike." Darla said. "Girls talk, you know that, if you didn't want me to tell her then you should have before I even had the chance. You hurt that girl a lot, Spike. You know what she's been doing all day?"

"Talking to you, obviously."

"She's been crying." Darla spat bitterly. "All day I've been there with her while she packs her stuff, buys plane tickets, tries to figure out what the fuck she's going to do when she gets back to California all the while trying to keep her self from falling to the floor and sobbing over you."

"She bought plane tickets?"

"She bought plane tickets?" Darla mimicked. "Yes she fucking bought them! I would too if I were her! You need to talk to her and-"

"She doesn't want to talk to me!" Spike yelled.

"Well then make her listen!" Darla yelled back.

"What do you expect me to do?" Spike asked as he turned his back to her and walked further in to the room. "Grab her by the hair, throw her over my sodding shoulder and claim her as my own?"

"It would be a lot better than the not caring that you're doing now."

As if someone had flipped a light switch Spike spun around, pulled his sunglasses off, and quickly advanced on Darla. "Does it really look like I don't sodding care?"

Darla gulped as she took in the disheveled appearance of his face. His cheeks were pink and slightly puffy and as she looked she noticed that his nose was, too. His eyes were ridiculously bloodshot and came complete with thick pink rims around his lids. Darla said nothing as he stared at her with labored breath.

"I want to talk to her, I really do," he said softly, "but she's made it abundantly clear that it's too late and she has nothing left to say to me. I fucked up, I know I did, but you'd better think twice before telling me that I don't care, Darla, because you're dead wrong." He quickly put his sunglasses back on before turning and walking through the green room door. "You're on in five."

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**Going straight in to the next chapter now.**

**Please, please, please review!**


	25. Chapter 25

**It's so interesting to hear everyone's thoughts on the fight from the last chapter. I had a lot of people siding with Buffy, a lot of people siding with Spike, and a whole lot of heart break. As I've said before this is a generally fluffy fic, but we all know from the series just how stubborn and pig headed the two of them are.**

**This chapter is dedicated to Sibb because of her obvious emotional investment in this fic. As always a big shout out to my regular reviewers, you guys always put a smile on my face and if it wasn't for every single one of you this story would have died off a long time ago. **

**I literally re-wrote this thing six different times so I'm sorry about the wait, I hope it's worth it.**

**Chapter 25.**

Buffy walked out of the green room and rushed blindly past the sea of faces that all seemed to have their eyes trained on her. She knew that she was being ridiculous, these people definitely had better things to do with their time than stare at her, but that's what vulnerability will do to a person. She walked around to the side of the stage and made her way toward the bar where Amy and Chris were sitting. They motioned for her to join them at the small table they had somehow managed to snag and she quickly jumped at the opportunity.

"Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard," Glory's voice rang out through all of the speakers in the venue, "but I think... OH BONDAGE! UP YOURS! ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR!"

Buffy watched for the last time as the lights flew on and Glory Wire was presented to the crowd of onlookers they called an audience. Glory was front and center and, as always, demanded all of the attention from her fans. Andrew was in his normal spot to her left and Darla the one to her right. Buffy noticed instantly that Darla wasn't nearly as lively as she usually was but she didn't really think much of it, they had had a long day and she knew tomorrow would be even worse.

She turned her attention back to Amy and Chris and was just a little bit surprised when she noticed that one of them had taken it upon themselves to buy her a drink. "It's a fuzzy navel." Amy said as she saw the confused look on her face.

"I know what it is," Buffy said, "I was just trying to figure out where it came from." She looked up and saw Chris sheepishly looking around with a hand rubbing the back of his neck in a very conspicuous manner. "Chris!"

"What?" He asked innocently. "It's your last night, you shouldn't have to buy your own drinks on your last night."

Buffy smiled as she took the glass in her hand, gave him a quick salute, and promptly moved the glass to her lips. She was very happy when she realized just how little alcohol was in the concoction, another round of heavy drinking was the last thing that she needed right now, and proceeded to drink it at her leisure while she listened to Amy and Chris talk about everything and nothing as long as it wasn't about work or a certain bleached blonde that was due to take the stage any minute. Buffy had already decided that when Passions took the stage she was going to excuse herself from the table and keep herself occupied outside where she wouldn't feel as if she was constantly under his icy blue gaze, the only reason she was even in here now was to support Darla.

She turned around in her chair as stealthily as she could and sure enough she could see him standing across the room with his arms folded over his chest. He was pretending to be intently watching the stage, but as she continued to gaze at his from a distance she slowly saw his head start to turn and glance over at her.

Buffy whipped her head back around to face Amy and Chris as her heart pounded away in her chest. She made a big show of nodding along with whatever they were talking about as she waited for a spot to join in on their conversation. The act didn't last long and she soon found herself finding any reason she could to glance back at the stage, even for a second.

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He couldn't take his eyes off of her.

He had seen her make her way toward the back of the venue earlier in the night and had swore to himself that he would turn a blind eye in that direction and not give in to the temptation of staring at her from across the room. That promise had worked out for about five minutes before he found himself curiously glancing over ever couple of minutes. He had been nervous the first couple of times, he didn't want to be caught being playing the creepy ex boyfriend routine, but each time he got a little bit braver.

Her hair was still as perfect as it always was as it bounced around her head in loose curls. The outfit she was wearing wasn't at all revealing or risque, but the way the fabric hung from her body left room for no question about her darling physique. She had a drink in her hand, he couldn't tell what it was from way over there, but he knew that she was hardly touching it and that she had never ordered another. She had a smile on her face and would laugh along with the other two people she was sitting with but the expression never quite reached her tired eyes.

He sighed as he turned his attention back toward the stage. He wanted to talk to her, more than anything he wanted to make things right between them, he just had no idea how.

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From her spot on the stage Glory had the perfect vantage point to see everything that was going on. There were a table of boys at the back of the venue trying to pick up on the girls at the table next to them. There was a man at the side door of the club getting escorted out by security and a lonely girl standing next to one of the large pillars singing softly to the music. The thing she was most interested in, however, were the two blondes that were trying so hard not to be seen staring at each other.

She thought the way that they were acting was just so stupid, they were fighting over practically nothing and Buffy was about to leave over it, but her heart went out to them nonetheless. She didn't know what it was about the situation that had made her think on it so much, she wasn't even sure why she really cared, but she felt the overwhelming urge to do something, any bit of anything, to help them stay together.

She wasn't blind, quite the opposite actually, and she saw the way the two of them looked at each other. She had heard the late night conversations Spike had been having with Darla throughout the first leg of the tour when they thought that she had been sleeping. She had accidentally come across them sharing a bit of affection on numerous occasions and one thing had been perfectly clear from the start; those two were absolutely crazy about one another.

She wasn't sure what had made her decide on what she was about to do, but she hoped that it would be worth it.

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"I'm going to get going." Buffy said as she stepped toward Amy and opened her arms for a hug.

"Are you sure?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, if you wanted to wait until the end of the show one of us could ride with you." Chris offered.

She smiled sadly at her two soon-to-be-former-coworkers. "No, that's okay. This place is just feeling a little too uncomfortable for me tonight."

"Alright." Amy said as she put her arms around her. "Keep in touch, okay? You have my number."

"I will, I promise." She said before moving on to Chris and giving him a quick hug.

"Shoot me a text when you land." He whispered.

Buffy nodded. "Absolutely. Thanks for being so awesome, you guys. I hope I see you again soon."

"Us, too." Chris said.

"Be careful."

"I will." She said as reassuringly as possible. "I'll see you later." With that Buffy turned and began the journey over to the doors of the venue. She had just managed to make it over and was about to disappear down the hallway when she heard something unexpected.

"Um, I don't usually do this," Glory said from the stage, "but we're going to do a cover song tonight." Buffy ceased her travels momentarily, Glory never engaged the audience during a show like this and she never did covers. It immediately caught her attention and put a stop to her travels as she leaned against the wall behind her. "Okay, so there are these two people on tour with us right now, we'll call them Brad and Janet."

Hoots and hollers rang from the crowd as they noticed the obvious nod to Rock Horror Picture Show.

"They're usually one of _those_ couples, you know the ones, always touching and flirting and only truly happy when the other one is around." Buffy listened as the woman on stage obviously described the relationship she had had with Spike. "Well, they had a fight over something not being said, someone's reaction to it, and then a couple of unmeant statements and are about to call it quits. This song goes out to them."

Buffy's eyes shot over towards Spike and she wasn't surprised to see him staring up at Glory as well. Her brows furrowed together and she momentarily thought that he may have put Glory up to this, but when she saw that the look on his face mirrored her own confusion she was almost positive that he was just as surprised as she was.

"Brad, Janet, just listen to this song and hear what it has to say." Glory said as a piano was pushed out from backstage and over to where she was standing. She sat down on the small chair that accompanied it and quickly found her place at the keys. "This song is called The Scientist and it's by a band called Coldplay." The crowd cheered loudly as Glory began to skillfully play the large instrument at her fingertips.

_Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry,  
You don't know how lovely you are.  
I had to find you, tell you I need you,  
And tell you I set you apart._

_Tell me your secrets, and nurse me your questions,  
Oh, lets go back to the start.  
Running in circles, coming in tails,  
Heads on a science apart._

_Nobody said it was easy,  
It's such a shame for us to part.  
Nobody said it was easy,  
No one ever said it would be this hard._

_Oh take me back to the start._

Buffy's eyes found his from across the room and she was surprised to see that he had finally shed the sunglasses. He was staring back at her now with nothing but raw emotion emitting from his watery depths and she could hardly choke back her own tears as she looked at him. Gone was the visage of the rock super star that he had been trying to pull off earlier with his late entrance and prince of darkness demeanor, this was her Spike looking back at her. It was her Spike that looked as if the pain of the world had been thrown directly in to his heart.

_I was just guessing at numbers and figures,  
__Pulling the puzzles apart.  
__Questions of science, science and progress,  
Do not speak as loud as my heart._

_And tell me you love me, come back and haunt me,  
Oh, and I rush to the start.  
Running in circles, chasing tails,  
Coming back as we are._

_Nobody said it was easy,  
Oh, it's such a shame for us to part.  
Nobody said it was easy,  
No one ever said it would be so hard._

_I'm going back to the start._

The music continued as the two lovers continued to stare at one another, no words were needed to convey the emotional rollercoaster they were both taking a ride on at the moment, their eyes were simply saying it all. Glory's wordless singing took the song to an end and as the crowd clapped Buffy and Spike were seemingly torn from their shared trance. Buffy looked down at the ground and Spike repositioned his sunglasses as one of the roadies walked up to him, said something in his ear, and quickly ran off. After one last glance back at Buffy he turned and made his way backstage.

Buffy felt her heart sink to the pit of her stomach as she turned on her heel and practically ran to the outside of the venue. She was slightly taken aback to see that it was lightly drizzling outside but quickly decided that making her way out in to the rain was better than staying where she was. She made her way quickly down the sidewalk without paying a bit of attention to her surroundings and soon found herself at the gate to the bus lot. She turned and was about to walk away, but the sound of the heavy back door squeaking open and a pair of fast, heavy footsteps caused her to turn her attention back to the lot.

She hardly had the time to process what was going on before she felt a pair of strong, familiar arms wrap around her middle and pull her harshly to him as his mouth crashed down to hers in a feverishly desperate kiss.

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Spike was the first to pull away and as his senses slowly but surely came back to him, he finally began to register what had just happened. He had had no idea what he was doing but the second he had gotten backstage it was as if something had triggered his brain in to hyper drive and every nerve in his body was screaming at him to go after her. He had hardly noticed himself pushing through the crowd of various stage hands and was only partially aware of his body storming through the back door. The moment his eyes had fallen on her form he had automatically made a mad dash toward her and, almost as an instinct, pulled her to him and kissed her as if his life depended on it. As his eyes drank in the sight of her face, flush with cold and confusion as her lips trembled slightly, he couldn't help but want to do it again.

"Spike," she whispered finally, "what are you-" 

"We need to talk."

"You just-"

"You were ignoring me," he said with a smirk, "had to find some way to get your attention."

Buffy moved the now fully saturated hair out of her face with one hand before pulling her coat just a little tighter around her. "You have show to do."

Spike sighed as he rolled his eyes and cocked his head to side. "You're about to leave, Buff, I don't give a damn about the sodding show."

"Spike that not fair, your fans are in there waiting for you."

"They'll wait." Spike said simply. "I'm the singer, they kind of can't start without me."

Buffy sighed as she crossed her arms over her chest, a slight shiver running down her spine as the wind blew and the rain picked up its pace ever so slightly. "Fine," she said, "if we're going to talk can we at least do it somewhere dry?"

Spike nodded shortly as he turned and made his way toward the Passions bus. Coming back to the scene of their previous fight may not have been the best idea but it was the only place they could go right now to be alone. They walked in to the living room portion of the bus and Spike motioned for her to sit down on one of the long couches as he settled himself on to the one directly across from her. She was slightly surprised when he didn't sit next to her but she understood why he would choose not to.

They sat in silence for a few moments, neither one entirely sure who should start. Spike was leaning forward slightly with his knees spread and his hands clasped firmly between them as if he was going to start praying. Buffy, on the other hand, sat straight up with one leg crossed over the other. She nervously twiddled her fingers together as the uncomfortable silence droned on.

"Well," Buffy said as she began to rise from her seat, "not that this hasn't been fun and all, but it's getting late and I've got a plane to catch in the morning."

"Sit down, Buffy." Spike said authoritatively.

"Why?" She asked. "You said you wanted to talk but we've just been sitting here saying nothing for five minutes."

"Excuse me if I'm trying to be a bit careful with my words, pet." He said angrily. "Don't want you to go frolicking off to another club because I get your knickers in a twist. I expect that kind of rot from Darla, not from you."

"And you think you're Mr. Perfect?" Buffy shot back. "You hid the fact that you had been hanging out with your ex girlfriend all day-"

"I was not _hanging out._"

"-and then you get upset when I react badly to it. You didn't even try to stop me when I told you I was leaving."

"I shouldn't have to come running after you all the sodding time!" Spike yelled as he quickly got to his feet. "What we have, it's a two way street, Buff. I'm not gonna be some whipping boy who comes chasing after you, tail between my legs, every time we have an argument. Yeah, I was wrong for not telling you about Cecily, but I don't see how that gives you a free pass."

"I never said that it did."

"You've implied it." He shot back. "This may seem like some type of vacation to you, Buff, but it's still a business. When you ran out on your job to get drunk with your gal pal instead of doing what your here for that was putting my ass on the line. You don't go running off like a child every time you get a little upset."

"I know, alright?" Buffy said as she let herself drop back down to the couch. She leaned forward and covered her face with her hands as she took one deep, calming breath after another. "I got upset and the opportunity was just there. I just wanted to get out for a little bit and calm down but it didn't work out like that. One thing led to another and the next thing I know I'm three sheets to the wind and laying on a sidewalk."

"But why?" Spike asked as he moved to sit beside her and reached a hand out to gently rest on her back. He felt his heart leap when she didn't pull away and couldn't help but feel a bit of hope when she leaned in to him slightly. "Why did you get so upset?"

"I've been cheated on before, Spike." She answered quietly. "I was lied to, over and over, and eventually everything came out and I sat there looking like a complete idiot for not seeing it sooner."

"Let's be fair, pet, you ended up looking like a complete idiot last night as well."

He felt her shoulders shake as she let out a soft laugh. "I know, and I am beyond embarrassed about that. I never get that bad, you know I don't."

"It's Darla," Spike said, "she's a bad influence on everyone."

"Don't blame her." Buffy said quickly. "She didn't make me act like that. She was just trying to be a friend, trying to help me out of an uncomfortable situation in the only way she knows how. I knew it was wrong from the beginning and I have no idea why I did it. I let my stupid emotions get the best of me and I feel terrible about it now. I'm sorry, I really am. I wasn't thinking and now I've gone and screwed everything up."

"You've bollocksed it pretty well, that's for sure," Spike said lightly, "but it's not too late to fix it. Amy and Chris didn't care and I don't even think Anya noticed what was going on. I'm not the only one that had to entertain that cheeky chit last night."

"What about us?" Buffy asked as she raised her face to meet his eyes. "Do you hate me now?"

"Could never hate you, pet." Spike said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. "I'm mad as hell right now, yeah, but it doesn't change the way I feel about you."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course." He answered as he felt her rest her head against his chest. "Half the reason I'm so brassed off is because of how terrified you had me. All night I had sodding horror stories running through my head of things that could have happened to you two."

"You'd have to be pretty stupid to mess with Darla."

"You'd be surprised how often stupid coincides with dangerous."

The two sat together for a few moments, Spike idly playing with a lock of her hair as she closed her eyes and simply reveled in the feeling of being with him like this again. Buffy didn't want to bring it up, she was somewhat afraid of the response she might get, but she couldn't stand letting the question hang in the air any longer. "Do you still want me to go home?"

"Oh, Christ, Buffy." Spike said as he sat up and turned to look her straight in the eyes. "I never wanted you to go home. When I said I did it was a heat of the moment type deal and I only said it to piss you off."

"Well it worked."

"A little too well, I'd wager." He said with a light smirk. "Today has been hell on Earth, Buff, for the both of us. I've never felt more alone than I did after you left the bus this morning." He reached his hand out and lightly brushed it over her cheek. "I don't want to do this without you, baby. I could if I had to, but I don't even want to try."

"I know." She said as a single tear made its way down her cheek.

Buffy saw him dig in to his pocket and couldn't help but glance over to see what he was up to. When she saw the ring she had thrown back at him resting gently between his pointer finger and thumb she felt her heart speed up and couldn't stop the second tear from escaping her eyes. "Still my girl?" He asked quietly.

Buffy nodded. "Still your girl."

He slid the ring snugly back on to her finger and raised her hand to his lips. "Good." He placed a gentle kiss on the soft skin he found on the top of her hand before lacing his fingers with hers and quickly standing up. "Now come on, I've got a show to do."

Buffy let him pull her to her feet and over to the bus door as she quickly dried her eyes on her already soaked coat sleeve. "I've got to get my stuff off of the Glory Wire bus and let Darla know I'm staying."

Spike opened the door to the bus and Buffy heard him let out a soft chuckle. "Something tells me she already knows."

Buffy wasn't sure what he meant until she stepped off of the bus and turned her attention to the back door of the venue. Standing there with her luggage at their feet was Darla, Andrew, Oz, and Bob. They were all smiling and clapping as Buffy and Spike made their way off of the bus hand in hand.

"I KNEW IT!"

0000000000

"Good," Xander said as he stood behind the bar talking on his cell phone, "I hope you never come back."

"Xander!" Buffy yelled in surprise.

"Kidding, totally kidding." Xander said quickly. "We miss you here, especially Will, but no one was looking forward to sad Buffy coming home so I'm glad you're staying."

"I'm sure you are," Buffy said with the usual spark lighting her voice again, "you were dangerously close to having a me shaped blob hibernating on your couch for the next month."

"That's not the reason." Xander said as he handed his current customer his drink. The man gave him an aggravated look pointed toward the phone at his ear, but he paid for his drink and quickly walked back to one of the five occupied tables in the bar.

"Oh, yeah?" Buffy asked. "Give me another."

"Well, you know," Xander said as he rubbed the back of his head before continuing in an obviously sarcastic tone, "you two kids are perfect for each other. We all want you to get married, have a bunch of kids, and die old and in bed together."

"Lame." Buffy answered.

"Would you believe it's because we're friends and I genuinely care about the health of your heart?"

"Not really," she said, "but we'll pretend I do."

"Sweet." Xander said with a goofy grin on his face.

"So how is everything at the bar?" Buffy asked. "Anything you should tell me about?"

Xander's eyes involuntarily glanced over toward the newest member of their staff. He watched them serve their table the drinks that they had ordered before walking off and moving on to the next one. Xander shook his head slightly as he tore his eyes off of the one person Clem never should have hired.

"Everything's fine," he said almost convincingly, "nothing to write home about."

On the other end of the phone Buffy was feeling a bit skeptical but decided not to pursue her suspicious feelings. She had had a hard day and the stress from that could easily be clouding her judgment and the last thing she wanted was to argue with Xander. "Okay, cool."

Xander closed his eyes and let out a deep breath, she had believed him and that was a good thing. He didn't want to further ruin her time out there by telling her about something that he hoped would be all sorted out by the time she got back. "Listen, I've got to go. Some of the customers are getting testy about my lack of conversing with them."

Buffy laughed softly. "Alright, tell everyone I said hi."

"Will do." Xander said. "Talk to you later."

"Bye."

0000000000

By the time Passions hit the stage everyone could tell that something had drastically changed in the past half hour. Where Spike had been quiet, slow, and brooding all night he was now back to being his energetic self as he strut across the stage and sang his heart out. It seemed as if the weight of the world had been lifted off of his shoulders and everyone in the know knew who was to blame for that.

The two beautiful blondes sat together at the bar talking and laughing the way girlfriends did. One was throwing back Vodka Tonics like it was her job while the other sipped slowly on a coke. After they had moved her things back on to the Passions bus Darla had insisted that it was time to celebrate Buffy's not leaving and Amy and Chris were quick to second that idea. Having learned her lesson from the night before Buffy had let them buy her a single small Fuzzy Navel before switching over to the virgin drinks.

"I knew you weren't going to leave." Darla said loudly.

"Really?" Amy asked. "I was pretty sure she was going home."

"No way," Darla said with a shake of her head, "Buffy's just dramatic. I love her to death, really I do, but sometimes she thinks with parts other than her brain."

"I know the feeling." Chris said quickly.

"I'm not talking about her dick." Darla said with a sarcastic eye roll. "I'm talking about her heart."

"Can we stop talking about me like I'm not here?"

"I mean come on," Darla continued, "if she would have taken two seconds to actually think about the entire thing with a clear head she would have realized how ridiculous it was. He picked a fight with her after she had been out drinking all night-"

"Thanks to you."

"-and she overreacted. Common occurrence in the female world. I know a lot about Spike and the kid gets pretty hot headed, he does," Darla said as she took a sip of her drink, "but I know two people who are going to be having all kinds of wonderful make up sex in that hotel room tonight."

"Darla!" Buffy yelled.

"It's true!" Darla responded. "I'm such a good friend that I'm not even going to stay in my room tonight so you won't have to worry about anyone hearing your naughty sounds."

"I can not believe you are saying this." Buffy said as she raised a hand to partially cover her reddening face.

"Come on, it's me we're talking about." Darla said as she raised her drink in the air. "Here's to dirty sex!"

"TO DIRTY SEX!"

Everyone around her tipped their heads back as they finished their drink in honor of one of the most ridiculous toasts Buffy had ever heard. She glanced back up at the stage and gave the Passions front man a long and lingering once over.

Maybe it was a good thing that Darla would be giving them their privacy tonight.

Buffy noticed the door that led back stage open and was more than a little bit surprised to see Glory make her way through it. Buffy watched as she made her way around the barricade and over to the bar and was completely shocked to see that not one of her security people were escorting her over. She turned back to the rest of the group and noticed that they were all looking off in the same direction with looks of confusion on their faces.

"She never comes out here." Darla commented.

"I know." Amy said.

"This is really weird." Andrew said nervously. "Maybe it's not really Glory, what if it's some kind of alien or something dressed up like her?"

"I've seen this movie," Chris said as Glory continued to walk toward them, "it doesn't end well."

"Hey, Glor." Darla said cheerily. "What brings you out here to mingle with the commoners?"

"I wanted a drink." She answered.

"Don't you usually send one of your lap dogs after that?"

Glory ignored the question and instead went about ordering her drink of choice from the bartender. Buffy wasn't sure if she had noticed that every eye in the small group was on her but if she did she sure didn't mind it. The man behind the counter gave her the drink and everyone expected her to simply walk back to her green room or leave the venue entirely, the last thing they expected was for her to turn her full attention to Buffy.

"You two had better not pull that kind of crap again," she said strongly, "we don't need a Ron and Sam on this tour."

Buffy stared at the woman before her with her eyes wide in shock. She had never even spoken to her before, she wasn't sure that Glory had even known she existed, and here she was talking to her as if it were normal. "We won't."

The two stared at each other for what seemed like forever. Buffy was fully aware of the look of surprise Darla was giving them and the almost fear strewn across Andrew and Chris' faces could be seen from a mile away. "I'm glad you're staying." She said finally.

"Thank you." Buffy answered.

Without another word Glory turned and made her way back to the stage. She disappeared through the same door she had come out of and everyone sat in silence for a moment as they tried to deal with the pure weirdness that had just unfolded.

"Hold on," Chris said after a few moments, "did she just make a Jersey Shore reference?"


	26. Chapter 26

**Sorry about the wait, my dears, I had a gnarly case of writers block and couldn't seem to shake it for a while. For some reason I was sitting in the lounge at my college, got an idea, and now I can't seem to keep from writing. I've outlined the next million or so chapters through this burst of inspiration and seriously can not wait to write them. **

**After this, there will be one more tour chapter and then it's back to Buffy's real life. I know, I know, you all want to stake me but things are going to get pretty rad when she gets back home, quite the roller coaster. :) **

**Also, we're going to pretend that Buffy's birthday is a couple of weeks later than it is in canon. Why? BECAUSE I FXXKING SAID SO!**

**Favorite typo from this chapter: "There was a wave of applesauce..." **

**SONG ALERT! I Have A Date by The Simpletones.**

**Chapter 26.**

Buffy stood in the long line staring blankly at the Starbucks logo that had slowly but surely began to mock her patient waiting. The line was hardly moving and people continuously hooked themselves on to the back despite the fact that it had grown through the doors. She let out a subtle sigh as she pulled her phone out of her pocket and resigned herself to playing Word Mole as she waited for her desperately needed this early in the morning. The show the night before had gone on a little long and none of the band had gotten a chance to sleep between wrapping up and heading to the airport.

It had been about two weeks since the fight that that they had agreed to blame on temporary insanity due to lack of sleep and everything had quickly gone back to normal. Buffy was thoroughly enjoying her time on tour and both she and Spike were dreading the day that she had to leave. The first day of classes was quickly approaching and, thanks to a best friend that was still back at home, she was all signed up and ready to go. Spike had not so subtly tried to convince her to take the semester off, to continue to tour with him, but she was determined to get her last semester out of the way and graduate on time.

"Welcome to Starbucks," the tiny girl behind the counter said with just a little too much pep in her voice, "what can I get for you this morning?"

"I need a Salted Caramel Espresso and a Pumpkin Spice Latte." Buffy said almost automatically. She had become accustomed to ordering early morning coffees for both Spike and herself and she had quickly picked up on his love for the seasonal pumpkin specials.

"What size?"

"Grande, please." Buffy said as she handed over her debit card.

The barista took the card from her hand and swiped it through the computer. She gave the screen a sideways glance as she swiped the card again. Buffy heard a series of strange beeps come from the monitor as the girl behind the counter handed her card back to her with a frown. "I'm sorry ma'am, but the card isn't going through."

Buffy felt her heart drop as she took the card back from the girl but smacked a smile on to her face nonetheless. "Oh, silly me," Buffy said cheerily as she pretended to look the card over, "this is my old card." The cashier giggled as Buffy put her card back in to her wallet and quickly pulled out a ten dollar bill. "There you go."

The cashier smiled, typed something in to the register, and quickly handed her back her change. "There you go, they'll call you when it's ready."

"Thanks."

Buffy walked to the side and joined the rest of the crowd that was waiting for their orders and she could feel the blush rising to her cheeks. She had never had a card declined before and she was currently thanking God for her quick thinking to avoid further embarrassment. She knew that due to her touring that money would be tight for her until she got her check when it was all over, but she had no idea that she was quite that low on funds. She got a little bit of relief when she realized that she hadn't put in her scholarship distribution form yet and she knew that when she did all of her tuition money would be put back in to her checking account, but that wasn't much either.

Of course this would happen to her on her 'special day'.

"Salted Caramel Espresso and Pumpkin Spike latte!" The man behind the counter said loudly as he put her order down on the table for her to pick up. She gave herself a mental head shake and moved to grab her drinks, she could save the worrying for later.

She walked back to the terminal and couldn't help but let out a quiet laugh. Spike was slumped down in his seat, black booted feet spread out in front of him, sound asleep. His hands were dug deep in to pockets of his leather jacket and his head was tilted back with his mouth hanging wide open.

She quietly put the drinks in to their respective cup holders and turned her body to face him. "Spike."

The moment her hand touched his arm he jolted awake. His head shot up and quickly turned to look in her direction with a look of confusion, shock, and anger all mixing on his sculpted face. Buffy could actually see the realization of where he was and what was going on wash over him as his expression softened and he finally began to breathe.

"Did I startle you?" Buffy asked with a laugh.

"Little bit, yeah." Buffy shook her head as she handed him his latte. "Thanks, pet."

Buffy smiled. "No problem, sorry it took so long."

"Really didn't notice."

"Yeah, I've heard you don't have a concept of time when you're knocked out in an airport terminal."

"Growing boy," he said as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to lean against him, "need my rest."

"As long as it's not your ego growing I think we'll be okay."

"Ouch," he said as he placed a kiss on her temple, "you wound me."

"You'll live."

As the affectionate banter settled in to a comfortable silence Buffy turned her gaze to the large wall of windows that Spike conveniently always sat in front of, and for good reasons. No matter how many times she saw it and regardless of what city or state she was in, the sun rising over an airport was always a breathtaking sight. The long, flat surface of the runway would reflect the various colors in a way that just couldn't be described as the beautiful ball of light rose behind the far distant trees.

"Never gets old." Spike murmured, his cheek resting against the top of her head. "Sorry we have to spend your birthday jumping from plane to plane."

"It's okay." Buffy said with a shrug. "How many people can say that on their birthday not only did they see the sun rise in Chicago, but got to see is set in Vegas, too?"

Spike smiled and placed another kiss on the top of her head, his girl was truly one of a kind.

0000000000000

"Okay, look at your card and memorize it, just don't tell me what it is."

Buffy turned the card over in glanced at the queen of diamonds looking back at her. She felt the warmth of Spike's body as he leaned in closer and took a look for himself before sitting back up in his own seat. Bob was turned backwards in his seat and everyone was watching intently as he tried out his new magic trick with Oz sitting next to him. Darla and Andrew were in the row behind Buffy and Spike and it was clear that everyone had gotten their second wind.

"Put your card back in the deck," Bob said, "and I'm going to shuffle for a minute."

"Okay."

"Now," Bob said as he cocked his head from side to side and took a deep breath, "you're going to spell out the name of your card-"

"Including the 'of'?"

"Including the of, and let each card represent a letter."

"Okay, go."

Q.U.E.E.N. O.F. D.I.A.M.O.N.D.S.

"Stop."

"Okay, okay, now watch this." With all the excitement of a kid in a candy store, Bob turned over the next card. "Is this your card?"

"No."

"What?" Bob quickly recollected the cards and shoved the discarded ones back on the top of the pile. "Let's try again."

Q.U.E.E.N. O.F. D.I.A.M.O.N.D.S.

"Done." Bob turned the next card over and looked at her expectantly. "Sorry, still no."

Bob looked at the upturned card angrily. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Buffy said as she turned to Spike for support.

"Not her card, Bob."

With a look of defeat Bob turned back around and began shuffling through the cards again. Buffy shook her head and turned toward her boyfriend. "Scoot in for a sec?" She asked as she began to rise to her feet.

"You okay?" Darla asked.

Buffy smiled and nodded. "Yup, just one of the negatives of having coffee."

"Powerful diuretic." Oz said.

"Preaching to the choir."

Spike moved his legs to the side and let her by, grinning up at her when she felt her hand rustle his gel-free hair as she walked by. Everyone kept their eyes on her as she walked to the restroom and the moment the door shut behind her they all quickly turned and went in to complete business mode.

"So, is the plan in motion?" Darla asked.

"Yeah, Chris and Amy flew out after the show last night." Spike answered.

"What about the venue?" Oz asked.

"Anya took care of it," he said, "decorations and everything."

"Everyone got there okay?" Darla asked.

"Yeah. Got the call while she was getting coffee this morning."

"Cool," Darla said, "so when we land we'll run to the hotel, check in, and run over to Crave. You have a plan for getting her away for a while?"

They all turned their heads back to the restroom as the door opened and Buffy stepped out. "I'll take care of it."

0000000000000

"This has got to be the best hotel we've stayed in."

It wasn't a lie, Spike had made sure to call ahead and shell out quite a bit of his own money to secure this room. The far wall was a large sheet of glass looking over the famous Vegas lights. The bed was a California King and covered head to toe in gold linens. The carpet was soft and spongy even under her leather stiletto boots and was such a pure white that she feared dropping anything and ruining the spotless color. The bathroom had all white floors but was accented with a black shower, sink, toilet, and tub big enough to hold a small dinner party but what had really sold him on it was the large hot tub on the balcony looking over the strip.

Call him old fashioned, but he felt his girl deserved to spend her birthday in the most luxurious room he could afford.

He watched as she walked over to the bed and expected her to sit her things down on it, what surprised him was when she flopped down on it face first and hugged one of the fluffy pillows to her chest.

"What are you doing?" He asked as he walked towards her, hands on his hips and a skeptical look in his eye.

"I'm so tired." Her muffled whine came from the bed.

"You took a nap on the plane." He said as he sat down next to her.

"Did not."

"Yes," he said slowly, "you did."

"When?"

"On the connector from New Mexico." He said. "You were out for a good hour, luv."

"Not enough," she said rolling over and plopping her head in to his lap, "can't we just sleep?"

"We're in Vegas," he said softly, "and it's your birthday. Do you really want to sleep that away?"

"Yes."

"Buff." His tone was warning and her eyes opened to peer up at him.

"If it's my birthday why can't we do what I want to do?" She asked.

"You're twenty two years old," he said with a raised eyebrow, "you should know by now that your birthday isn't really about what you want to do."

"Obviously."

Spike chuckled as he let a hand gently rest against her cheek. "Get up, get ready, and let me take you out to dinner."

Buffy looked up at him from her spot in his lap, his blue eyes were pleading and his features had softened in a way that made him look like a little kid begging his mother for some shiny new toy. "Can we get Chinese?" She asked quietly.

Spike chuckled. "Anything you want."

0000000000000

"No, what the hell are you doing?" Anya yelled at the stage hands who were currently screwing up her entire plan. "Why would we have the food table in the middle of the floor? Have you ever even been to a party?"

"Of course I've been to a party."

"Then why would you try and put the food table in the middle of the floor?" Anya marched over and grabbed the table by one side before proceeding to drag it over toward the wall on the far left. "I have to do everything myself around here. Go help bring the food boxes in or something else that you can't screw up."

"Anya," Giles said from his spot leaning against the stage, "don't you think you're being a bit too hard on them?"

The heels of her shoes clicked against the linoleum floor as she practically stomped across the room and over to the box holding the cutlery. "No, I am not being too hard on them, Rupert."

"You nearly bit Brad's head off for having the streamers uneven."

"Streamers are very important."

"And what about when you kicked Alex in the shin for leaving the ice cream on the table?"

"We paid good money for that!"

"Let's not forget that you kicked Ally out because you felt her outfit was too revealing."

"It's Buffy's day!" Anya yelled. "Nobody should be getting more attention than her at her own birthday party!" Giles crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a sideways glance that made his glasses slide down on his nose, a look that Anya always referred to as his 'dad look'. "Okay, maybe it's not about Buffy."

0000000000000

"No, I'm serious," Buffy laughed as she told Spike the horrendous story of her tenth birthday party, "we got locked inside the roller rink because one of the older kids thought it would be cool to call in a bomb threat. The police showed up and everything."

"What happened?" Spike asked as he shoved a California roll in to his mouth.

"They came in and apparently checked it out, but at ten years old and after seeing far too many movies my entire party was convinced that it was the zombie apocalypse and that we were all going to die. All the girls were crying while me and the boys were finding any type of weapon we could to defend us against the undead." Buffy explained. "That was the last of Buffy's birthday bashes."

"Can't say I blame you," Spike said, "apocalypses can be terrifying."

"We had quite a few of them when I was growing up." Buffy said. "You should have seen what happened when Dawn thought that I took her Ipod."

"Did you?"

"Well yeah," Buffy said as she finished off her lo mein, "I went to a magnet high school and had a two hour bus ride. I needed something to entertain me."

Spike watched her finish off her meal with as much interest as he would have watching his favorite movie. It kind of fascinated him how even when she was slurping in a stray noodle that had somehow managed to escape her mouth she still managed to look as graceful and perfect as a primo ballerina. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and quickly pulled it out to inspect the text he had received.

"Who's that?" Buffy asked.

"Darla," he lied, "we have to go."

0000000000000

"What kind of emergency?" Buffy asked as Spike pulled her along the streets of Vegas toward the club they would be playing at the next night.

"She didn't say." He answered as he pulled her a little bit closer.

"Well, what did she say?" Buffy asked. "What were her exact words?"

"She said that we needed to get to Crave, right now, and that it was important." He explained.

"Did you tell her that we were at dinner?"

"It's Darla," Spike said, "do you really think that would have mattered to her?"

Buffy didn't argue, he had a point there, she merely let herself be dragged along by her boyfriend who seemed particularly excited about this particular emergency. The flashing red lights of the club came in to view and she was promptly pulled inside. She had expected to see the rest of the guys, the girls and the Andrew of Glory Wire, and the rest of the tour staff running around in a tizzy. The last thing she expected was to walk in to a pitch black, empty club.

"Spike," Buffy said in a near whisper, "what's going on?"

"I don't know," he said as he released her hand and began to feel for the light switch, "let me find the-"

"SURPRISE!"

Buffy jumped out of her skin as the lights went on and everybody that she had been touring with for the past few weeks jumped out of various hiding places around what she could now tell was a very intricately decorated main floor of Crave.

"Oh, my God!" Buffy yelled as her hand flew to her heart in shock. She could hear his laughter immediately and spun on her heel to face him. "You!"

There was a wave of applause as Spike took a step forward and threw an arm around her neck. She began to laugh along with him as he pulled her close and her arms involuntarily went around him. "Had to do it, luv."

"I'm going to kill you." She muttered against his chest.

"Haven't even seen the best part yet."

Buffy pulled away just enough to look up at him. Before the question in her eyes could reach her lips, however, she heard a familiar squeal come from somewhere behind her. She turned and her eyes instantly grew wide as her jaw dropped in total surprise. "Willow? Xander?" The two girls were wrapped up in bone crushing hugs from one another in a matter of seconds as Xander waited patiently for his turn with the Buffster. "I can't believe you guys are really here!"

"Thank your boyfriend." Xander said as the petite blonde threw herself at him.

"What?" Buffy asked as she pulled away.

"Yeah," Willow confirmed, "he flew us out here just for your birthday."

Buffy turned and looked back at him leaning leisurely against the door frame that they had just entered through. He gave a slight shrug as he put a hand in his back pocket. "Your birthday is far too close to Christmas and I already did the jewelery thing," he explained, "figured you might like a few things from home."

Buffy smiled at him as tears formed in her eyes, words couldn't express the wide array of emotions she was feeling at this particular moment but she had a feeling he could tell just by the look on her face how much she appreciated this.

"I heard this was a party," Darla said as she sauntered her way up to the small group, "so let's dance, mother fuckers!"

0000000000000

What everyone had assumed would be a mid sized shindig had quickly turned in to a full blown hootenanny. Anya had really sprung and gotten the best DJ in town and had managed to talk Giles out of using the party as an extra practice for the two bands present. The food that she had ordered from Caleb's Catering was delicious and everyone seemed to be having a great time, everyone but her.

She wasn't sure what it was about him, maybe it was his boyish mannerisms or all around immaturity, but something attracted her to him like a moth to a flame. Every time she had glanced in his general direction she had seen him talking with other people, dancing with Buffy and Willow, she'd even seen him flirt with a couple of the other girls.

Why the hell wasn't he talking to her?

She had slept with the stupid pig, she'd made him squirm in ways that she knew he had never even thought of before being with her, and he was just going to ignore her like that? She was Anya Jenkins, damn it! She did the ignoring, not the other way around!

She applied another layer of lipstick, flipped her hair around a little bit, and raised an eyebrow at herself in the mirror. "Saddle up, Jenkins," she said to her reflection, "get out there and show him who's boss."

With a new sense of confidence she opened the door to the bathroom and stepped out in to the hallway... and straight in to Xander Harris' chest.

"Jesus Christ!" She screamed as she jumped away. "Don't sneak up on people like that!"

"I was just going to the bathroom, Anya," he said with a laugh, "didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't scare me," she said angrily, "I just wasn't expecting to see you there."

They stood together in an awkward silence for a few moments as they both searched their brains for something, anything, to say. "Well, I've gotta, ya know..." he said as he motioned toward the men's bathroom door.

"Right," Anya said as she side stepped out of his way, "go ahead, drain the main... whatever."

She watched as Xander stepped around her, opened the bathroom door, and quickly disappeared inside. She looked up and down the hall a couple of times without the slightest idea of what she was looking for before she let out a frustrated sigh and walked straight in to the bathroom after him.

"Alright, you listen you big oaf-"

"Anya!" Xander yelled as he quickly zipped himself back up and turned away from the urinal. "What the hell are you doing?"

"What the hell am I doing?" She echoed. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Well, I was trying to-"

"We spend an entire night together having mind blowing, multiple orgasm inducing, all around incredible sex and you don't even say hello when you show up?"

"You said you didn't want to make it some big thing." Xander said as he slowly inched away from the yelling woman and toward the stalls.

"I didn't want to make it some big thing."

"Then why are you coming after me in the bathroom?" Xander asked.

"Because it is a big thing!"

"You just said-"

"I know what I said!" Anya yelled. "I don't want it to be a big deal but it is. I can't stop thinking about you, Xander, all the time. Every time I see Buffy and her stupid face running around here all I want to do is say 'hey, have you talked to Xander? Did he say anything about me? Is he screwing someone new?"'

"Anya, I-"

"No, I'm talking now." Xander shut his mouth and let her go on. "I thought it would stop after we had sex the last time but it just got worse. I made this big party, I wore my fuck me heels and my porn star lipstick and you didn't even have the decency to notice."

"I did notice." He said quietly.

"Then why didn't you say anything?" She whined. "I did all this prettying up to impress you and you just ignore me like the retarded cousin that eats paste."

"Anya, I'm sorry," he said as he walked toward, "I just thought that this was what you wanted."

"I thought it was what I wanted, too." She pouted.

"And now?"

With a deliberate shove he was pushed in to the bathroom stall behind him and Anya followed quickly in suit. She slammed the door and locked it quickly before straddling her legs around his middle and pulling his face to meet hers.

If this was what she wanted he would gladly give it to her.

0000000000000

The party was in full swing and Buffy was having the time of her life. Her birthday parties had never quite gone as planned, but so far this one hadn't turned disastrous. Nobody had gotten hurt, everyone was having fun, and they hadn't been quarantined by a SWAT team.

So far, so good.

"So you're staying for the rest of the tour?" Buffy asked Willow as they danced together to the beat of some random song that the DJ had put on.

"Yup," Willow answered, "Oz wanted me to be here for the record release show tomorrow night and since the one after that is in LA I figured I might as well stick it out. It's only a couple of days but at least it's something."

"That's awesome!" Buffy yelled over the music.

The girls continued to dance, talk, and laugh together just like they always had back at home. Buffy had missed her best friend terribly and tonight outlined all of the reasons why. They had often joked that the other brought out the best in them, whether it be the party girl in Willow or the carefree side of Buffy, and the statement had been proven true time and time again. Tonight was no exception to that rule despite the lack of their usual body guard.

The fast paced dance song ended as a slower one began and both girls glanced at one another. The rest of the dancing crowd around them coupled up and began to sway to the beat. "Come here, Wills!" Buffy called as she extended her hand toward the red head.

"Miss Summers," Willow said mocking shock, "are you asking me to dance?"

"If I told you that you had a nice body," Buffy said dramatically, "would you hold it against me?"

"As interesting as this is," Spike's accented voice said from beside them, "would you mind if I stepped in?"

Willow glanced at Buffy and gave her a quick wink before puffing out her chest and walking toward Spike with her chin raised defiantly in the air. "If you want to dance with the lady," she said in her best manly voice, "you'll have to get through me."

Spike raised an eyebrow. "That so?"

"Yeah," Willow continued, "you wanna make something of it?"

Spike raised his hand and gave Willow a slight push to the side, one that she pretended was much more forceful as she began to fake a stumble to the side before simply walking off to find Oz. "Quite a fighter, that one."

"Yeah," Buffy said with a laugh, "she's pretty protective."

Spike's tongue met the tip of his teeth as he draped an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against his chest. "Better be careful with you then, yeah?"

"Yeah," Buffy answered as she placed a hand on his shoulder, "otherwise big buff Willow might come back over here and kick your ass."

"Wouldn't want that to happen, would we?" He asked as he grasped her hand firmly in his and began to lead her in dancing to the soft music of a song he had never heard before. His hand found the small of her back

and she resisted the urge to let her head fall to rest against his chest. "Are you having fun?"

Buffy nodded, her smile faltering as she quickly turned away.

"Hey, look at me," he said quietly as his brow furrowed, "what's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

"Something," he said firmly, "is bothering you. Tell me what it is so that I can fix it."

Buffy's eyes found his as she cocked her head to the side and a sweet smile rose back to her lips. "It's you."

"Me?" He asked. "What did I do?"

"You threw me this party," she said softly, "you flew my friends out here and invited all of these people."

"I thought you would like it, Buffy, I didn't mean to-"

"It's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me." She said quietly.

"Don't you get it Buffy?" Spike said with a smile as he shook his head. "I would do anything for you."

0000000000000

Willow watched from her seat at the bar as her best friend had what appeared to be a very tender, intimate moment with her boyfriend. "Look, look," she said as she gently hit at Oz's arm, "here it comes in three... two... aww! Aren't they so cute?"

"Sure are." Oz said turning back around and motioned toward the bartender for another drink.

"Are you okay?" Willow asked as she turned around in her own chair.

"Yeah," Oz said as he leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, "just a little jet lagged."

"Do you want to dance?" Willow asked, instantly perking up at the thought. "We could get them to play-"

"I'm alright." Oz answered as his drink was placed in front of him.

Willow frowned as she watched him take a large swig from his glass, he had been acting strange all night. She understood that he was probably tired and that it was probably nothing personal but she couldn't shake the feeling in her gut that something was wrong.

"Do you want to go back to the hotel?" Willow asked. "I mean, we have tomorrow, if you're tired then we could just call it a night and head back."

Oz turned to face her, a look of nothing but adoration on his face as he raised a hand to lightly caress her cheek. "I'm fine, Will, don't worry about me."

"But you're-"

"You're here for your best friend's birthday," he said, "go have some fun."

Willow smiled as he leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips before she got up and made her way back to Buffy's side. When she was gone Oz let out a deep sigh and turned his attention back to his beer.

0000000000000

Buffy laughed as Spike danced along with the newest punk song to come blaring out of the speakers in the most comical way that he could. He looked so suave and debonair when he was on stage, when he was taking it seriously, but right now he was jumping and wobbling around in a way that made him look like more of a toddler than a glorified rock star. Just when she thought his dancing couldn't get any more ridiculous or embarrassing he grabbed her by the hand and forced her to dance with him as he began to sing along with what was no doubt one of his favorite songs.

_I saw a girl and she drove me wild,  
She looked at me and I looked and smiled.  
The cutest girl you could ever see,  
I never dreamed she'd go out with me._

He spun her around and she nearly lost her footing as he pulled her back to him and continued his ridiculous show.

_We met at school so I asked her out,  
The only girl I ever thought about.  
She's 16 and she's so divine,  
I never thought I would make her mine._

I'm in love, I just can't wait.

_Tonight, I have a date._

_I have a date, _

_With the cutest girl in town  
I have a date, _

_And I'm the happiest boy around._

_I'm in love, I just can't wait._

_Tonight, I have a date._

Buffy laughed as he continued to spin her, rock her, and force her to jump around with him. She had nearly fallen twice already as he forced her to keep up with him and she was suddenly regretting wearing her new favorite pair of high heeled leather boots.

"Spike, I'm going to-"

"You're fine," he yelled over the music, "just go with it."

Went to the movies in my parents car,  
I never dreamed I'd get that far.  
I picked her up at a quarter to eight,  
I got there early I didn't want to be late.

Another dizzying spin.

I never thought it would come to this,  
I drove her home and she gave me a kiss.  
I'm in love and it's here to stay,  
She said she really wants to see me again.

I'm in love, I just can't wait.

_Tonight, I have a date._

_I have a date, _

_With the cutest girl in town.  
I have a date, _

_And I'm the happiest boy around._

_I'm in love. I just can't wait,_

_'Cause tonight, I have a date._

"Spike we should-"

"Shh."

_I have a date._

"No, I'm serious, my boot-"

"Is doing fine."

_I have a date._

"The heel, it's gonna-"

He ignored her completely as he pulled her to him before spinning her under his arm and pulling her back again.

_I have a date._

_**CRACK**_

_I'm in love, I just can't wait._

_Tonight, I have a_

_DATE!_

"Spike!" Buffy cried as the heel of her boot began to slide across the floor. She lost her balance and fell to the side, successfully knocking him off of his feet and on to the ground before landing on top of him with a thud.

_I HAVE A DATE! _

_0000000000000_

Buffy and Spike stumbled in to the alleyway behind Crave laughing uncontrollably about the doomed musical number he had just forced her in to. Buffy was limping along beside him as he kept a protective hand on her hip to keep her from teetering or tottering to either side due to the now missing heel of her boot. He usually liked to take his smoke breaks solo, second hand smoke was bad for the lungs of Buffy and all that, but tonight he was particularly happy to have her come along.

"I tried to get you to stop," she said between her laughter, "you wouldn't listen."

"Wanted to dance," he said as he pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket, "can't fault me for that."

"And you thought I could dance around with you, like this," she said bopping up and down on her heel-less boot and waving her arms around like an excited chicken, "would work in six inch heels?"

He quickly lit up and took his first drag. "Don't worry, luv, I'll buy you a new pair of heels."

"You'd better," she said as she watched him lean against the wall, "they were my favorite."

"I was quite fond of them, too," he said as he let out a slow exhale, "especially when that was all you were wearing."

"Well, here," she said taking off her good boot and handing it over to him, "you can have it."

"What?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Keep it," she said as she removed her broken shoe and threw it toward the dumpster, "you can make it all sentimental."

"Now, now kitten," he said calmly, "it's your birthday. You should be getting gifts, not giving them."

She cocked her head to the side and moved toward him, all the while looking him up and down with bedroom eyes. "Well, what if I want to give you something?" Her hand clasped his belt buckle suggestively as her lust filled eyes moved up to meet his.

"Well," he said grabbing her around the waist before moving his hand down to cup her ass, "wouldn't want to upset the birthday girl, would I?"

"I should hope not." She whispered as her lips hovered mere centimeters away from his. Just as she was about to go in for the kill her eyes flicked over to a flashing red and blue neon sign. She stared at it for a few seconds, her mind whirling at a mile a minute, before flicking her eyes back over to meet Spike's. "I want to do something crazy."

"Crazier than a blowjob in the alley?" He asked.

"A little bit." She answered with a soft laugh.

"Well out with it baby," he said expectantly, "I'm all ears."

0000000000000

**WHAT IS THIS CRAZY IDEA?**


End file.
